South Africa Orders Independent Review of AI Policy After Draft Withdrawal

May 27, 2026

Mintesinot Nigussie

South Africa is preparing a revised national artificial intelligence policy after withdrawing an earlier version that triggered concerns over unreliable references and the disclosure of how AI tools were used during the drafting process.

Officials said a new draft is expected to reach Cabinet by late 2026, followed by another round of public consultations planned for early 2027.

The Department of Communications and Digital Technologies has established a seven-member independent committee to reassess the framework, examine disputed material and recommend corrections before the document is reintroduced.

The policy had initially been released in April as part of South Africa’s effort to build a long-term strategy around artificial intelligence governance, innovation and economic development.

However, scrutiny over several references in the document later raised questions about their accuracy and whether some citations had been generated using artificial intelligence systems.

Solly Malatsi told lawmakers that the government decided to withdraw the draft after concerns emerged regarding the credibility of parts of the document.