School Box Africa and the Zambian Government: An Engine for Zambia's AI Agenda
School Box Africa has met SMART Zambia Institute, Zambia's Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Technology and Science. A memorandum of understanding is now under review across these institutions, as School Box Africa works to become a delivery engine for Zambia's national AI agenda.
School Box Africa has held meetings with three Zambian government institutions: SMART Zambia Institute, the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Technology and Science. All three were productive, and a memorandum of understanding (MoU) is now under review across these institutions. The aim is for School Box Africa's off-grid AI learning hubs to act as a delivery engine for Zambia's national AI agenda — taking AI skills to communities that have no existing digital infrastructure.
Who we met
SMART Zambia Institute (SZI). SMART Zambia Institute is the e-Government Division under the Office of the President, mandated to coordinate and implement electronic government in Zambia. It has a defined role in delivering the country's National Artificial Intelligence Strategy.
The Ministry of Education. The ministry responsible for Zambia's schools and learners — the system School Box Africa's AI courses are designed to extend into places that classrooms and connectivity do not yet reach.
The Ministry of Technology and Science. The ministry that leads Zambia's National Artificial Intelligence Strategy and coordinates its delivery across government.
An MoU in progress
Following these meetings, a memorandum of understanding between School Box Africa and the Zambian government is being reviewed across the three institutions. School Box Africa will publish the details once it is agreed.
Zambia's national AI agenda
Zambia is one of a small number of African countries with a national AI strategy. The National Artificial Intelligence Strategy 2024–2026, led by the Ministry of Technology and Science, sets out how the country will use AI for economic growth, better public services and inclusive development. Its priorities include human capital development, digital infrastructure, data, research and innovation, and the adoption of AI across sectors — overseen by a National AI Council and technical working groups.
Government is now setting up new priority programmes to carry that agenda forward. School Box Africa's goal is to connect to them as the engine that delivers AI skills on the ground.
Why School Box Africa fits
A national AI strategy needs people who can use AI, including in communities without reliable power or internet. That is the gap School Box Africa is built for:
- Off-grid by design. Each School Box is a repurposed shipping container running on solar power and Starlink satellite internet, with no dependence on local infrastructure.
- AI-native teaching. Learners work with an AI tutor that adapts to each person in real time, on shared learning stations — no personal smartphone needed.
- Measured results. In School Box Africa's first case study, a learner went from 0% to 87% in 36 days on the same agriculture assessment, and came out using AI every day and teaching others to use it.
- Built in Zambia. School Box Africa is registered in Zambia via PACRA, and its education software is developed in-house.
- Any subject. The platform launched with agriculture, but the curriculum is not fixed: new subjects can be added without changing the hardware.
What happens next
School Box Africa is working with these institutions to finalise the MoU and to define where its hubs fit within the government's AI priorities. The first container hub is planned for Zambia, with a model designed to be replicated one hub at a time.
Frequently asked
Is School Box Africa working with the Zambian government? Yes. School Box Africa has met SMART Zambia Institute, the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Technology and Science, and a memorandum of understanding is under review across these institutions.
What is Zambia's National AI Strategy? The National Artificial Intelligence Strategy 2024–2026 is Zambia's framework for using AI for economic growth, better public services and inclusive development. It is led by the Ministry of Technology and Science, and SMART Zambia Institute has a defined role in it.
How does School Box Africa support Zambia's AI agenda? School Box Africa builds off-grid AI learning hubs in shipping containers that teach practical skills through an AI tutor. They are designed to deliver AI skills to communities that have no existing digital infrastructure, supporting the strategy's human capital development and sector adoption priorities.
Has the MoU been signed? Not yet. The memorandum of understanding is currently under review across the three institutions. School Box Africa will publish the details once it is agreed.
What is School Box Africa? School Box Africa is an AI-powered education company that turns repurposed shipping containers into off-grid, solar-powered learning hubs with AI tutors, starting in Zambia. It is registered in Zambia via PACRA.