Nuclear power could fuel Africa’s AI boom

by SAVIOUS KWINIKA 
JOHANNESBURG, (CAJ News) – AFRICA’S ambitions in artificial intelligence could hinge on an energy source that has long divided public opinion: nuclear power.

Prof. Bismark Tyobeka, principal and vice-chancellor of North-West University, argues that nuclear energy and AI could form a powerful partnership, providing the reliable, low-carbon electricity needed to drive the continent’s digital and industrial growth.

“It is a match made in heaven,” Tyobeka said during his public lecture, AI and Nuclear Power: Powering a Smarter, Sustainable Future.

The challenge is significant.

AI data centres require vast quantities of electricity to train models, process information and operate around the clock.

With baseload capacity already constrained in many African countries, Tyobeka believes conventional supplies will not be enough to meet future demand.

Nuclear power, he argues, offers the dependable, continuous generation that AI infrastructure requires.

Safety remains one of the biggest obstacles to public acceptance.

The nuclear industry has been shaped by major accidents including Three Mile Island, Chernobyl and Fukushima.

However, when deaths are measured against electricity generated, nuclear compares favourably with fossil fuels.

Tyobeka also believes AI itself could make nuclear power safer and more efficient by improving reactor design, detecting anomalies, supporting predictive maintenance and enabling faster decisions across the nuclear value chain.

The opportunity could extend beyond large conventional reactors.

Small modular reactors (SMRs) and microreactors could potentially provide dedicated power for data centres, mines and industrial hubs, while their smaller scale could make deployment more flexible.

For Africa, the implications are broader than powering AI. Reliable electricity could support manufacturing, mineral processing, hydrogen production and desalination, helping countries extract greater value from their natural resources.

Tyobeka sees particular potential in mineral-rich countries, where dependable nuclear-generated electricity could help shift processing closer to mines rather than exporting raw materials.

But turning that potential into reality will require major investment, robust regulation, specialist skills and public trust.

“Growth cannot happen without energy security,” Tyobeka said, warning that unreliable electricity could continue to deter investment and constrain Africa’s economic potential.

He called for governments, regulators, financial institutions, universities and industry to work together on developing the necessary infrastructure and expertise.

For Africa’s emerging AI economy, the central question may therefore be less about whether the continent can embrace artificial intelligence and more about whether it can generate enough electricity to power it.

Nuclear energy, Tyobeka believes, could be a crucial part of the answer.

– CAJ News