This conference brief, The foundations of justice-centred AI governance: Recommendations for Southern African Member States, authored by Just AI Fellows Elisabeth Achancho, Emmanuel Kpakpo Brown, Shirley Genga and Simbarashe Knox Kaneunyenye, draws on insights from the 2026 Just AI Conference and their own AI governance research to share targeted priorities for the Southern African Development Community (SADC).
The brief argues that governance frameworks focused narrowly on ethics, fairness or transparency often fail to address deeper structural questions of power, control and institutional accountability. Using Research ICT Africa’s Just AI Framework of Inquiry, the authors call for governance approaches that move beyond abstract principles toward practical mechanisms grounded in regional realities.
The brief identifies five priorities for justice-centred AI governance for SADC: strengthening accountability and oversight; improving institutional coordination; treating language inclusion as a strategic priority; advancing multistakeholder governance; and investing in digital sovereignty through local capacity, infrastructure, and governance systems.
