AI is exceeding most CEOs’ expectations and their optimism is growing. Cisco’s latest study shows that 67 per cent now worry they’re underinvesting in the technology — up from 57 per cent last year — with nearly two thirds (64 per cent) of those surveyed now seeing AI adoption as mandatory for modern business. But significant challenges remain for companies struggling to build the infrastructure, data foundations, and security controls to make AI work safely, reliably and at scale.This is the second consecutive year Cisco has surveyed 2,500 CEOs across 23 countries to understand how they view AI, what they expect from it, and what’s getting in the way of scaling. In Africa, CEOs approach AI with striking optimism, viewing it as a transformative opportunity rather than a disruption to manage. Their advice to fellow leaders is direct: the opportunity is real, and the time to act is now. As one African CEO declared: “AI is the game changer in every industry that is planning to prosper.”Deploying AI agents to work alongside employees is among the top three priorities for CEOs in 2026. By 2030, almost every CEO expects AI to play a role in business, but they don’t expect AI to fly solo. 74 per cent envision a future where AI only supports or executes under human direction, judgment, or governance. Their reasons are both practical and relatable: keep AI systems secure, ensure productivity in human-AI teams, and navigate the ethics of AI decision-making effectively. One CEO put it plainly: “Move fast with AI, but also anchor decisions in human values — always.”The knowledge gap is closing fast. In 12 months, the share of CEOs who said their understanding of AI held them back in the boardroom fell to 57 per cent from 75 per cent, with those who said it blocked informed decision-making dropping to 43 per cent from 74 per cent. While knowledge and confidence are rising, so is their awareness of what it takes to get this right.While CEO intent is growing, execution is stalling because of three major constraints:“African leaders are seeing this as an opportunity to leapfrog, not just catch up,” says Ossama Eldeeb, Managing Director for Africa. “Optimism alone won’t close the gap. Infrastructure, data, and trust are what will determine who scales successfully. That’s why we’re hyper-focused on helping organisations across the continent build the secure, AI-ready foundations they need to turn this optimism into results.”These CEO concerns are validated by data on the ground. Cisco’s 2026 AI Readiness Index, based on 8,000+ IT leaders globally, shows that organisations globally are facing the same three barriers: less than a quarter (22 per cent) rate their network as optimal for AI workloads, just 39 per cent feel equipped to secure and control AI agents, and only 22 per cent have fully centralized, AI-accessible data. Those who have solved all three are pulling ahead, while the rest risk missing out.The research was conducted among a sample of 2,500 CEOs from companies with 250+ employees across Asia, Australia, Europe, North America, South America, and Africa. The data was collected in January 2026.
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