South Africa: South Africa Department of Communications and Digital Technologies withdrew Draft National Artificial Intelligence Policy

On 26 April 2026, the South Africa Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies announced the withdrawal of the Draft National Artificial Intelligence Policy. Cabinet approved the Draft National Artificial Intelligence Policy on 25 March 2026 and published the draft in the Government Gazette on 10 April 2026, opening a public consultation until 10 June 2026. The draft aimed to establish national AI priorities, norms and sector-specific strategies across manufacturing, energy, infrastructure, transport and trade. The Minister stated that an internal review confirmed the draft contained fictitious references and that the most plausible explanation was that AI-generated citations had been included without proper verification. The Minister stated that this lapse compromised the integrity and credibility of the draft. The public consultation is cancelled as a result of the withdrawal.