What we know so far
The South African government has appointed technology leader Lady Mariéme Jamme as the country’s Special Envoy for Technology and Artificial Intelligence, according to a statement issued by the Office of the Minister in the Presidency for Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities.
The department, led by Minister Sindisiwe Chikunga, announced the appointment on Saturday, 4 July 2026, and the statement was published by SAnews, the Government Communication and Information System’s official news service, on Monday, 6 July 2026.
The department said the announcement was made at the World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting of the New Champions, commonly known as Summer Davos, in China.
Jamme is the founder and chief executive of iamtheCODE, an African-led global movement that operates in nearly 90 countries and teaches coding, artificial intelligence and digital literacy skills, with a focus on women and girls in underserved communities.
Why it matters
The role is honorary, strategic and non-executive, but it gives Jamme a formal mandate to represent South Africa in international discussions on technology diplomacy, responsible AI governance and digital inclusion, the department said.
Minister Chikunga said the appointment reflects government’s commitment to ensuring that women, youth and persons with disabilities are positioned at the forefront of the digital economy rather than left behind by it.
The department framed the move as part of a broader effort to ensure that African expertise and priorities are represented in international AI policy debates, arguing that the technology’s rules should not be set by a small number of countries or institutions alone.
South Africa is not the first African country to create such a position. Kenya appointed Philip Thigo as its Special Envoy for Technology in 2023, a role widely described as the first of its kind on the continent, and South Africa’s appointment extends that regional trend of formal AI diplomacy envoys.
For South African policymakers, the appointment comes as the government positions itself within global conversations on AI regulation at a time when the technology is reshaping labour markets, public services and economic competitiveness worldwide.
Key details and figures
Jamme, born in Senegal in 1974, has spent more than two decades advising governments, multilateral institutions and private-sector leaders on technology policy and digital transformation, according to the department’s statement.
She founded iamtheCODE in 2016, with a stated goal of equipping one million young women and girls with coding and digital skills by 2030, in line with the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
She also serves on the board of the World Wide Web Foundation, founded by World Wide Web inventor Sir Tim Berners-Lee, and has been recognised as a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader.
The department’s statement placed the announcement at the Annual Meeting of the New Champions in China. World Economic Forum records show the 2026 edition of that meeting, its 17th, was held in Dalian from 23 to 25 June 2026 under the theme “Innovating at Scale,” rather than in Tianjin as stated in the government’s release. Tianjin hosted the 2025 edition of the meeting. This discrepancy in the official statement is noted here for accuracy.
In her own statement, Jamme said artificial intelligence is redefining power, productivity and opportunity globally, but warned that technology deployed without ethics, inclusion and human dignity risks widening inequality rather than closing it.
What happens next
The department said Jamme’s responsibilities will include supporting South Africa’s engagement with governments, multilateral institutions, academia, investors and industry leaders on technology diplomacy, workforce readiness and innovation partnerships.
No details have yet been released on a fixed term for the envoy role, a reporting structure, or a budget allocation tied to the position, and the department’s statement did not specify these.
It remains unclear how the envoy role will interact with existing South African government structures on AI policy, including any work already under way through the Department of Communications and Digital Technologies.
Southafriworld will continue to track further announcements from the Office of the Minister in the Presidency for Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities on the scope and timeline of Jamme’s mandate.
