In this episode of the Diary 101 Podcast, Akakandelwa Kandepwe sits down with Pendo, Data Specialist at Zanaco Plc and Co-founder of Ubuntu AI, to explore the future of artificial intelligence in Zambia and across Africa.

Pendo shares her journey from software engineering to data science, the realities women face in STEM, and why resilience and community matter in tech. The conversation dives into Zambia’s current position as a consumer rather than developer of AI technologies, the urgent need for infrastructure, curriculum reform, and research investment, and the importance of homegrown innovation and data sovereignty.

Together, they unpack how AI can improve healthcare and education, why Africa must shape its own technological destiny, and what it will take to move from passive adoption to active development in the AI era. ...