Nexthink. Sounds futuristic, doesn't it? An enterprise with the potential to do for digital employee experience what AI has done for the rest of business. On the surface, it's just another tech firm vying for market share, another webinar (August 14th, 2025, mark your calendars if you're into that sort of thing) hosted by Solutions Review, another demo of a virtual assistant named Nexthink Assist. But let's zoom out, way out, and look at this through a different lens: Africa.

These narratives of Africa as a continent eternally on the back foot are what we’re incessantly hit with. First, we are lagging behind in infrastructure, technology, and, yes, that term we all want to avoid, the “digital divide.” Here’s the kicker—what if these perceived disadvantages are really advantages? What if Africa, unburdened by legacy systems and outdated infrastructure, can leapfrog entire generations of technology and build something truly transformative?

At least that’s the promise of Nexthink, or companies like Nexthink. The potential is intoxicating. African entrepreneurs are benefiting from AI-powered tools such as Nexthink Infinity. With these tools, they can drive operational efficiencies, enhance productivity and compete with the best globally. Imagine a future generation of African workers that use technology to create solutions for problems in their own communities. They are job creators, powering economic development through homegrown talent. Awe-inspiring, right?

I’m still not convinced the tech landscape we’re seeing today is actually being built for Africa. Is Nexthink’s technology scalable and affordable to SMEs in Africa? Can these enterprises pay for it, considering that they hold the banner for the continent’s economies? Is it simply another premium offering, priced out of the hands of those that would benefit from it the most? If so, it only replicates the injustices it professes to address. Think of it like this: are we offering a life-saving vaccine, or a luxury cosmetic procedure?

What about the infrastructure? Artificial Intelligence Nexthink depends on strong internet connectivity and stable power grids. In much of Africa, these remain vexing hurdles even today. Are we looking past opportunities to create solutions that are not dependent on systems, which frankly, are not accessible to everyone?

Is It Really Affordable Access

This is where the danger of exploitation moves from theoretical to deeply terrifying. Nexthink, one of many DEX platforms, and arguably the most prevalent, captures terabytes of data on employee behavior, performance and digital engagement. Who owns that data? Who controls it? And how is it being used?

Was this data truly empowering African businesses? Or is it instead being siphoned off to subsidize profits for multinational private corporations, perpetuating neo-colonial power structures behind a digital veneer? Have we just traded one model of resource extraction for another physical one to digital data extraction. Anxiety should be setting in because if we’re not careful, that’s what’s going to happen.

Who Controls the Data Flow?

This isn't just about Nexthink, specifically. Foreign tech companies are rushing into Africa. While their solutions may be tempting, in reality they would further entrench the status quo power structures. Keep in mind, the greatest con is one where all parties believe they’re coming out ahead.

The answer, I believe, lies in Pan-Africanism. We welcome this new, technology-empowered Pan-Africanism. This vision leads with African innovation, guarantees African ownership of data, and promotes African solutions to our complex challenges.

First, let’s double down on investing in our own AI research and development. Now is the moment to train our technical wizards and cultivate our cyberspace. Together, let’s create the type of ecosystem that truly empowers Africa’s entrepreneurial talent. That’s when they will be empowered to develop solutions tailored most accurately to the unique needs and contexts of their own communities.

Pan-African Solutions The Only Way

Picture a future where African countries are not just consumers of foreign technology, but innovators and producers of best-in-class AI solutions. A future in which African data is leveraged to improve outcomes for African people. A future where technology can really help Africa leapfrog the digital divide and build a more prosperous future for everyone.

This is not just a pipe dream. It's a necessity. The only other option is a future in which Africa is permanently tethered to foreign technology, its resources plundered, its potential wasted. Look, I’m not claiming Nexthink is somehow nefarious at its core. What I’m arguing for is that we need to ask difficult questions. We need to be vigilant. We need to demand transparency and accountability.

Africa’s digital future isn’t inevitable. It's up to us to shape it. It’s time to build the world where technology is an empowering tool rather than a tool of exploitation. The onus is on us to ensure that we’re building a truly Pan-African digital future. The time to act is now. Or, as they put it on Wall Street, or perish.

This is not just a pipe dream. It's a necessity. The alternative is a future where Africa remains perpetually dependent on foreign technology, its resources exploited, its potential squandered. Look, I'm not saying Nexthink is inherently evil. I'm saying we need to ask hard questions. We need to be vigilant. We need to demand transparency and accountability.

The future of Africa's digital landscape is not predetermined. It's up to us to shape it. It's up to us to ensure that technology is a tool for empowerment, not exploitation. It's up to us to build a truly Pan-African digital future. The time to act is now. Or, as they say in business, innovate or die.