Dog-fooding but for African tech with Vukosi Marivate | On What Terms? | Episode 2

Africa has no shortage of AI talent, groundbreaking research or innovative ideas. So why do so many promising AI innovations never make it into the hands of the people who need them? In this episode, our host, Professor Chijioke Okorie sits down with Professor Vukosi Marivate, AI researcher, entrepreneur and founder of multiple AI initiatives, to unpack the innovation lifecycle and explore how research moves from university laboratories into products, businesses, governments and society. Together they discuss: ✅ Why African AI innovation often struggles to scale ✅ The role of government procurement in innovation ecosystems ✅ Why small startups struggle against large technology companies ✅ AI sovereignty and informed choice ✅ Building local AI capacity rather than permanent dependency ✅ The future of South Africa's AI Policy ✅ How governance can enable innovation rather than slow it down ✅ Public trust in science, research and innovation ✅ Why governments should fix data infrastructure before rushing into AI adoption ✅ The connection between AI governance and national development This conversation is essential for policymakers, founders, academics, researchers, innovators, lawyers, regulators and anyone interested in the future of African AI. 00:00 Introduction 00:48 What We Mean by the Innovation Lifecycle 01:33 Why African AI Rarely Appears in Government Procurement 02:42 Understanding the Innovation Ecosystem 04:24 The Startup vs Big Tech Challenge 06:08 Why Governments Are Risk-Averse 07:01 Who Can Afford to Offer AI for Free? 08:26 Technology Lock-In and Market Dominance 09:21 Why Innovation Cannot Sit on the Shelf 11:39 Finding the Middle Ground 11:47 The Concept of "Eating Your Own Dog Food" 14:36 Why Society No Longer Trusts Research Institutions 15:51 Research Funding and National Development 17:32 Access, Use and Innovation Governance 19:32 Should Governments Prioritise Local AI? 21:11 AI Sovereignty and National Capability 25:15 Governance as a Knowledge Framework 26:14 Building South Africa's AI Policy 27:22 What Governments Should Focus On 30:30 AI Sovereignty and Informed Choice 32:10 Why Data Infrastructure Comes First 33:18 Consensus, Disagreement and AI Governance 35:22 Inside the UN Scientific Panel on AI 38:53 How Global AI Governance Influences Countries 41:47 Intellectual Property and AI Innovation 43:32 The Rise of AI Playbooks 46:12 Final Reflections #AfricanAI #artificialintelligence #aiinnovation #aigovernance #aisovereignty #InnovationPolicy #techpolicy #PublicInnovation #machinelearning #futureofai CREDITS This season of On What Terms? is produced with financial support to the University of Pretoria from UK Foreign and International Development and the International Development Research Centre, Ottawa, Canada as part of the AI for Development: Responsible AI, Empowering People Program (AI4D), under Grant no. 110729-001. The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent those of IDRC or its Board of Governors, or the UK government’s official policies. DISCLAIMER Nothing in this podcast constitutes legal advice.