The primary objective of this review is to comprehend and assess the impact, trends and structure of research on the role of AI, the IoT and Big Data on Social and economic growth in Africa. This analysis will also help to identify opportunities and challenges, highlight emerging research areas and suggest future research recommendations.

To locate and examine research and literature on the evolution, patterns and potential effects of AI, IoT and Big Data on social and economic progress in Africa, a narrative review process has been followed. The search approach entailed locating a pertinent database, specifically Scopus, JSTOR and Lens. Because most of the articles found on these search engines are also found on other search engines such as Web of Science, ResearchGate, Google Scholar, etc., and because they offer a comparable flexible connection with a wide range of searching capabilities across a vast number of online scholarly published article, it was judged that these are sufficient for the purpose of this study. Books, journal articles, conference papers, dissertations and theses were among the various forms of literature considered for review. The time frame considered was 2020–2025 because the authors perceived the topics as relatively new in research and accelerated by the advent of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic (2019–2020). Furthermore, during that period, there has been an emergence of key publications, trends or technological developments in AI, IoT and Big Data that also justify the choice of the period. Because of the review’s exploratory nature, it did not employ a more inclusive approach to article selection, such as the one used in systematic reviews, which also requires more advanced knowledge of the methodology.

The search technique used free words or expressions linked with Boolean operators such as ‘OR’ and ‘AND’ and included AI, the IoT, Big Data, Africa or the African continent. The search results produced 240 articles and papers. All studies deemed irrelevant to this review or lacking all four main keywords or their variations (i.e. artificial intelligence or AI; IoT or IoT, Big Data, Africa or African) were excluded from the review. Moreover, articles that were published in languages other than English are not considered. A total of 187 articles were finally considered for the review. These articles were exported to Bibliometrix via the RStudio platform for first-hand data analysis, where graphs were plotted and data tables were produced for further analysis of the findings. The graphs from Bibliometrix were analysed for insights by the authors, and more complex graphs – such as Collaboration Network, Thematic Map or Most Prolific Contributors – were analysed with the assistance of Generative AI (Gemini, ChatGPT, Claude AI). The mitigation of the inherent bias in these tools is detailed in the Acknowledgements section.

The authors did not collect primary data, had no direct interaction with human participants or animals and processed no identifiable personal information. All ethical standards were followed for research with no direct contact with humans or animals.

A noticeable trend is the digitisation of public services to increase inclusion and efficiency. In fact, AI-driven technologies, e-governance platforms and mobile apps are simplifying public sector operations, enhancing transparency, promoting cultural tourism and facilitating citizen-centric strategies (Fan & Chen 2024; Rymarczyk 2020; Snowball, Tarentaal & Sapsed 2021). In addition to making service delivery easier, digital platforms are fostering innovation and entrepreneurship, especially in the fields of education and health. For instance, although inequalities in digital access still exist, AI is transforming science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education, individualised learning and curriculum development (Abbasi et al. 2024; Hernandez-de-Menendez, Díaz & Morales-Menendez 2020; Su & Ding 2022; Xiao et al. 2024). Innovation in emerging markets, especially in handicrafts and small-scale businesses, is being stimulated by technology-driven entrepreneurship (Acs et al. 2021).

Artificial intelligence is being used for controlling urban infrastructure, forecasting disease outbreaks and increasing agricultural output, among other applications (Gutierrez & Bryant 2022; Schor et al. 2020). Likewise, decision-making in contexts with limited resources and drug discovery is also being aided by machine learning (ML) models (Anthwal et al. 2024; Munoth, Anilkumar Nagaich & Gehlot 2022). Predictive, preventative and personalised medicine (3 PM) is being revolutionised by AI and IoT, which is improving patient monitoring, treatment planning and diagnostics (Fazio et al. 2021; Golubnitschaja et al. 2020). Digital health platforms utilise AI to enhance drug safety and efficacy through pharmacovigilance – the monitoring of the effects of medical drugs – particularly in situations with limited resources (Fazio et al. 2021).

Fintech technologies such as digital wallets, mobile money and decentralised finance (DeFi) platforms are expanding financial inclusion, particularly for marginalised groups in the Global South (Choithani et al. 2022; Preziuso, Koefer & Ehrenhard 2023). To counteract deepfakes, false information and cyber threats in IoT networks, cybersecurity tools driven by AI are being developed. For instance, Federated learning and blockchain are becoming popular options for safe, decentralised data management (Gutierrez & Bryant 2022).

Ethical AI frameworks are becoming more and more important in order to address issues of responsibility, privacy and bias in automated decision-making (Bugár & Somogyvári 2025). Risks of monitoring and digital authoritarianism are being discussed, especially in light of AI-driven government (Afroogh et al. 2023; Allen et al. 2025; Cosa & Torelli 2024; Pawelec 2024; Santoni de Sio 2024). Data-driven development is becoming more and more important, and Big Data analytics should make policy frameworks more flexible and responsive (De-Lima-Santos, Yeung & Dodds 2024; Raman et al. 2024; Saheb 2022).

Artificial intelligence and IoT are being used, especially in emerging economies, for climate resilience, disaster management, sustainable agriculture and environmental protection, as well as for smart urban planning (Ngulube 2025; Okpala & Nzeanorue 2024; Perlaza Rodriguez 2024; Zhang et al. 2024). Big Data analytics and digital twins maximise resource efficiency in infrastructure, energy and agriculture (John 2021; Singh & Dey 2023). Furthermore, AI and Big Data are being used to help with natural hazards management, both in rural and urban areas (Li et al. 2024).

The most relevant keywords identified in the literature from the authors whose articles were considered for the review are displayed in the Word Cloud in Figure 1. Some words or phrases that are spelled differently (e.g., IoT and/or AI) have been combined for the sake of consistency and to avoid repetition of the same keyword.

Analysis of the figure and implications for the research on ‘Tech-Driven Development’ in the African context:

The Word Cloud highlights the importance of focusing on core technologies, such as AI, the IoT, and Big Data in Africa to address its unique challenges and opportunities. It also emphasises the need to align technology with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and climate change mitigation. The cloud further emphasises the importance of digital transformation, smart cities, emerging technologies such as the Metaverse and Virtual Reality and the need to consider the broader social, economic and ethical implications of technology adoption in Africa.

Figure 2 illustrates the production trends of the top five publications over time. It is worth noting that almost all of them have seen an increase in the number of publications, especially since 2021, arguably because of the COVID-19 pandemic, except for AI & Society, which began increasing in 2019. Artificial intelligence and Ethics, as well as AI & Society (five articles each), emphasise a deep concern with responsible AI. Environment, Development and Sustainability; Environmental Science, and Pollution Research International (five articles each) demonstrate that the research is directly tied to the SDGs.

As ethical and sustainable development concerns are frequently overlooked in the Global North’s technology-driven research, this alignment presents a significant opportunity for African research to take the lead in the global discussion on responsible technology deployment. This strength should be leveraged by African scholars to secure financing and establish themselves as thought leaders.

The leading sources (journals or publications) found in the reviewed articles are listed in Figure 3, organised by the number of articles. The research group’s primary theme emphasis and publication priorities are established by these sources.

The profile of these sources demonstrates a highly transdisciplinary, policy-aware and ethically focused research network, posing a unique challenge for African stakeholders while also presenting a significant strength. The strength lies in the emphasis on sustainable and responsible AI, with the majority of the top three theme areas focusing on ethical governance and development. An ethical priority is one noteworthy conclusion that AI and ethics were equally weighted in the top sources (five articles each). It demonstrates that the responsible development and control of AI are being given top priority, which is an unavoidable necessity for African nations struggling with high inequality, algorithmic bias and data scarcity. The network’s research and resource management, as well as its climate action, are closely related, as evidenced by the equal weighting of Environment, Development and Sustainability and Environmental Science and Pollution Research International (five articles each).

A few implications of these top journals and applications of the review are observed here. Implication: By emphasising accountability and inclusiveness and mitigating the risks of exacerbating current disparities with technology, this review is already geared towards achieving UN SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions). The first implication is that the study is highly relevant locally and directly supports the continent’s existential concerns, as expressed in SDGs 13 (Climate Action) and 15 (Life on Land). The second implication is that using the intellectual reputation associated with publishing in these publications to promote African-owned journals and institutional repositories is a challenging task. To ensure that knowledge is localised and widely accessible to African policymakers and practitioners, African funding organisations should provide incentives to authors who publish findings (or modified versions) in regional publications.

Table 1 lists the top contributors by their total number of publications (TPs).

This section looks at how topics were trending among the reviewed article, as shown in Figure 4.

The analysis of the graph shows the following:

The IoT is a foundational technology that can transform various sectors in Africa, including agriculture, healthcare, infrastructure and environmental monitoring. Equally, AI is a key enabler for financial inclusion, education, governance and language processing. Furthermore, Big Data is increasingly recognised for its potential to inform decision-making and drive insights, such as market analysis, public health tracking, urban planning and disaster management.

This section illustrates (Figure 5) and explains the pertinence of themes from the reviewed articles or papers. Centrality (relevance degree): the horizontal axis denotes centrality, which shows how significant or pertinent a theme is to the field. Density (development degree): the vertical axis represents a theme’s level of development or research, indicating its density.

The plot is divided into four quadrants:

The map highlights the importance of the motor themes in tech-driven development, such as the IoT, AI and Big Data, in Africa. It further emphasises the need for digital infrastructure, digital literacy and Industry 4.0 principles. Additionally, the niche themes suggest specialised opportunities, such as blockchain for financial integration and land registration and smart cities for urban development. On the other hand, the emerging/declining themes suggest areas of interest, such as addressing climate change and achieving the SDGs.

Table 2 illustrates plausible collaborations among top authors in the reviewed research. This visualisation helps us to understand the relationships between authors, based on how often their works are cited together by other researchers. The key metrics for understanding author importance are the following. Betweenness measures the author’s ability to act as a ‘bridge’ between different collaboration clusters; a high value means they control the flow of information. Next is closeness, which measures how quickly an author can reach everyone else; a high value suggests rapid dissemination of information. Finally, page rank, which measures an author’s overall prestige and influence, factoring in both the quantity and quality of their co-authors.

The two most important knowledge bridges are Li Z (Betweenness = 63.00) and Li X (Betweenness = 27.00). Because of their strong Betweenness Centrality, they serve as necessary bridges to link disparate groupings or clusters. They are the essential channels for sharing information, obtaining resources and establishing new cooperative relationships both inside Africa and with international partners. Also, Raman R (Betweenness = 26.00) serves a high-impact brokerage role. Moreover, Li Z (PageRank = 0.0524) has the most influence, overall. This author has significant prestige and gravity inside the network because they are probably the most mentioned. They imply that they determine the research agenda and draw the greatest attention to the output of the network. Many of the writers in cluster 3 have high Page Ranks, indicating that this cluster is currently the collaboration’s intellectual centre.

Research on tech-driven development should consider temporal trends and research focus, concentrating on the most recent uses of these technologies in the African context. The following are some recommendations as focus for research on the African continent: