The rapid diffusion of artificial intelligence (AI) is increasing pressure on higher education institutions to prepare graduates for AI-enabled entrepreneurship Source: ScienceDirect.
This systematic review synthesizes evidence from 63 peer-reviewed studies published between 2020 and 2025, examining how AI skills development, curriculum integration, and ethical preparedness collectively influence entrepreneurial capability development in Sub-Saharan Africa Source: ScienceDirect.
Key Findings
Findings reveal uneven research distribution, with over 60% of studies originating from Nigeria and South Africa, indicating regional disparities in research capacity and institutional readiness Source: ScienceDirect.
Although students show growing awareness of AI, engagement is largely confined to basic tools such as chatbots and generative AI. Advanced applications, including predictive analytics and automation, remain constrained by inadequate infrastructure, weak data literacy, and limited analytical skills Source: ScienceDirect.
Ethical preparedness is also insufficient due to limited curriculum coverage and weak institutional governance. Overall, AI readiness in Sub-Saharan African higher education reflects growing awareness but limited capability for transformative entrepreneurial innovation Source: ScienceDirect.
Structural Constraints
In developing countries such as Malawi and other low-income Sub-Saharan African contexts, examining AI readiness within higher education is particularly urgent due to persistent structural constraints, including limited technological infrastructure, restricted access to digital tools, and weak institutional support systems Source: ScienceDirect.
Many universities in sub-Saharan Africa struggle to align business- and entrepreneurship-related curricula with the demands of the digital economy, resulting in graduates who are insufficiently prepared to engage with AI tools in innovative or enterprise-driven contexts Source: ScienceDirect.
Recommendations
The review recommends integrated curriculum reform, infrastructure investment, and stronger ethical governance to support meaningful AI-enabled enterprise development Source: ScienceDirect.
Unlike previous reviews that largely focus on AI adoption trends or pedagogical challenges in isolation, this study provides an early, systematic, regionally grounded synthesis of AI readiness in Sub-Saharan African higher education with a direct focus on entrepreneurship and business programmes Source: ScienceDirect.
