Tunisia enters the African top 10 in AI governance, according to the first edition of the Africa AI Governance Index. A good ranking, though to be read with caution.
Tunisia ranks 10th out of 54 African countries evaluated, with a score of 2.12 out of 4, according to the Africa AI Governance Index 2026, published in July by the Africa AI Policy Lab, an initiative of Lawyers Hub.
The country is categorized as ‘Developing’, corresponding to an AI governance level still in development.
On the scale of North Africa, Tunisia ranks 3rd, behind Morocco (2.38) and Egypt (2.25), and ahead of Algeria (1.89), Libya (1.11), Mauritania (0.91) and Sudan (0.23).
Rwanda, Nigeria and Benin at the top
Rwanda leads the continental ranking with a score of 3.25 out of 4, ahead of Nigeria (2.81) and Benin (2.58). These three countries are the only ones classified in the « Established » category.
They are followed by Kenya (2.47), Morocco, Egypt, Ethiopia (2.22), Ghana (2.21) and Mauritius (2.20).
Tunisia thus closes the top 10, just ahead of South Africa and Zimbabwe, both credited with 2.10.
AI Governance: Africa’s Top 10
Africa AI Governance Index 2026 — score out of 4
| Rank | Country | Score /4 |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rwanda | 3.25 |
| 2 | Nigeria | 2.81 |
| 3 | Benin | 2.58 |
| 4 | Kenya | 2.47 |
| 5 | Morocco | 2.38 |
| 6 | Egypt | 2.25 |
| 7 | Ethiopia | 2.22 |
| 8 | Ghana | 2.21 |
| 9 | Mauritius | 2.20 |
| 10 | Tunisia | 2.12 |
Source: Africa AI Governance Index 2026. The index measures governance and readiness for artificial intelligence, not the technological power of countries.
What the ranking actually measures
The index does not measure a country’s technological power, the number of its startups, or the performance of artificial intelligence models developed there.
It instead evaluates AI governance and readiness across eight dimensions: strategy, regulation, infrastructure and data, human capital, innovation, ethics, regional integration and implementation.
Each country is assessed on 80 indicators, i.e. 4,320 observations for the 54 states studied, on a scale from 0 to 4. The data are up to June 30, 2026.
A ranking to read with caution
The report’s authors recommend not over-interpreting gaps below roughly 0.1 point and treating closely matched countries as peers.
Tunisia’s score of 2.12 therefore does not signal a truly significant lead over South Africa or Zimbabwe, at 2.10.
Moreover, this is the first edition of this index. Its authors note that it has not undergone an inter-rater agreement test across all ratings and they announce methodological adjustments for future editions.
Finally, this ranking is not an official index of the African Union, but a tool developed by a pan-African organization specializing in digital policy.
Still, the rank, however flattering, does not tell the whole story. Behind Tunisia’s score looms a much more important question for businesses: how to turn a large pool of skills into a real artificial intelligence industry?
