Schneider Electric says Africa is entering a defining era of electrification and digitisation, positioning the continent as a future global hub for smart infrastructure, AI-powered industries and advanced energy systems.
- •Rapid advances in artificial intelligence, data centres, electric mobility and smart grids are accelerating demand for electricity and digital infrastructure across the world, creating a major opportunity for Africa.
- •The company identified four major priorities shaping its Africa strategy, expanding energy access, accelerating digitisation and AI infrastructure, localising industrial manufacturing, and investing heavily in skills development and training.
- •In Kenya, Schneider Electric says it is already supporting local assembly and manufacturing of electrical infrastructure equipment used in major data centre developments.
“Everything is getting connected, buildings, plants, networks and grids,” said Jean-Pascal Tricoire, Chairman of Schneider Electric, speaking in Nairobi after the recent Africa Forward Summit 2026. “We are witnessing two major revolutions at the same time: the acceleration of digitisation and the transition toward electrification. In 40 years in the electrical and digital industries, I have never seen changes happening this fast or at this scale.”
Tricoire said the world is moving from an economy that is currently about 20 percent electrified to one expected to reach nearly 50 percent electrification over the next 25 years, driven by the rise of AI factories, hyperscale data centres, electric vehicles and fully electric buildings.
“Africa has an opportunity to leap directly to the most advanced infrastructure and energy systems,” he said. “The smartest and largest grids we are building today are in Egypt. The largest refineries we work on are in Nigeria. Some of the most renewable data centres are now emerging across Africa, including here in Kenya.”
The company said electrification remains central to Africa’s industrial future, with growing investments in smart grids, transmission systems, microgrids and hybrid energy systems combining renewables and conventional energy sources.
“All future technologies are powered by electricity, semiconductors, data centres, mobility and industrial automation,” Tricoire said. “Every investment in electrification today is a no-regret move.”
The company also called for accelerated development of African data centres to support AI services, reduce latency, improve data sovereignty and stimulate local innovation ecosystems.
“If you use AI on your phone today, the computing power is likely running in a data centre outside Africa,” Tricoire noted. “Africa needs local data centres for innovation, competitiveness and digital independence.”
Walid Sheta, Schneider Electric’s President for the Middle East and Africa, said Kenya has undergone a visible transformation, citing major infrastructure improvements, rising technical talent and growing digital capabilities.
“I see a fast transformation happening on the ground,” said Sheta. “The infrastructure is improving rapidly, but more importantly, the young talent here is technically savvy and AI-native. That gives us enormous optimism about Kenya’s future.”
Sheta added that much of the equipment powering Kenya’s emerging data centre industry is now being assembled locally.
“We are proud that a majority of the equipment used in these data centres has been assembled here in Kenya,” he said. “We are also exploring opportunities to deepen local manufacturing and technology transfer.”
The company announced it has signed a partnership with University of Nairobi to establish an energy laboratory to train engineers and technicians in next-generation energy systems and industrial technologies.
