ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
An AI-native strategy firmGlobal Advisors: a consulting leader in defining quantified strategy, decreasing uncertainty, improving decisions, achieving measureable results.
A Different Kind of Partner in an AI World
AI-native strategy
consulting
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Quantified Strategy
Decreased uncertainty, improved decisions
Global Advisors is a leader in defining quantified strategies, decreasing uncertainty, improving decisions and achieving measureable results.
We specialise in providing highly-analytical data-driven recommendations in the face of significant uncertainty.
We utilise advanced predictive analytics to build robust strategies and enable our clients to make calculated decisions.
We support implementation of adaptive capability and capacity.
Our latest
Thoughts
Podcast – The Real AI Signal from Davos 2026
While the headlines from Davos were dominated by geopolitical conflict and debates on AGI timelines and asset bubbles, a different signal emerged from the noise. It wasn’t about if AI works, but how it is being ruthlessly integrated into the real economy.
In our latest podcast, we break down the “Diffusion Strategy” defining 2026.
3 Key Takeaways:
- China and the “Global South” are trying to leapfrog: While the West debates regulation, emerging economies are treating AI as essential infrastructure.
- China has set a goal for 70% AI diffusion by 2027.
- The UAE has mandated AI literacy in public schools from K-12.
- Rwanda is using AI to quadruple its healthcare workforce.
- The Rise of the “Agentic Self”: We aren’t just using chatbots anymore; we are employing agents. Entrepreneur Steven Bartlett revealed he has established a “Head of Experimentation and Failure” to use AI to disrupt his own business before competitors do. Musician will.i.am argued that in an age of predictive machines, humans must cultivate their “agentic self” to handle the predictable, while remaining unpredictable themselves.
- Rewiring the Core: Uber’s CEO Dara Khosrowshahi noted the difference between an “AI veneer” and a fundamental rewire. It’s no longer about summarising meetings; it’s about autonomous agents resolving customer issues without scripts.
The Global Advisors Perspective: Don’t wait for AGI. The current generation of models is sufficient to drive massive value today. The winners will be those who control their “sovereign capabilities” – embedding their tacit knowledge into models they own.
Read our original perspective here – https://with.ga/w1bd5
Listen to the full breakdown here – https://with.ga/2vg0z
Strategy Tools
PODCAST: Effective Transfer Pricing
Our Spotify podcast discusses how to get transfer pricing right.
We discuss effective transfer pricing within organizations, highlighting the prevalent challenges and proposing solutions. The core issue is that poorly implemented internal pricing leads to suboptimal economic decisions, resource allocation problems, and interdepartmental conflict. The hosts advocate for market-based pricing over cost recovery, emphasizing the importance of clear price signals for efficient resource allocation and accurate decision-making. They stress the need for service level agreements, fair cost allocation, and a comprehensive process to manage the political and emotional aspects of internal pricing, ultimately aiming for improved organizational performance and profitability. The podcast includes case studies illustrating successful implementations and the authors’ expertise in this field.
Read more from the original article.
Fast Facts
Fast Fact: Great returns aren’t enough
Key insights
It’s not enough to just have great returns – top-line growth is just as critical.
In fact, S&P 500 investors rewarded high-growth companies more than high-ROIC companies over the past decade.
While the distinction was less clear on the JSE, what is clear is that getting a balance of growth and returns is critical.
Strong and consistent ROIC or RONA performers provide investors with a steady flow of discounted cash flows – without growth effectively a fixed-income instrument.
Improvements in ROIC through margin improvements, efficiencies and working-capital optimisation provide point-in-time uplifts to share price.
Top-line growth presents a compounding mechanism – ROIC (and improvements) are compounded each year leading to on-going increases in share price.
However, without acceptable levels of ROIC, the benefits of compounding will be subdued and share price appreciation will be depressed – and when ROIC is below WACC value will be destroyed.
Maintaining high levels of growth is not as sustainable as maintaining high levels of ROIC – while both typically decline as industries mature, growth is usually more affected.
Getting the right balance between ROIC and growth is critical to optimising shareholder value.
Selected News
Quote: Microsoft
“DeepSeek’s success reflects growing Chinese momentum across Africa, a trend that may continue to accelerate in 2026.” – Microsoft – January 2026
The quote originates from Microsoft’s Global AI Adoption in 2025 report, published by the company’s AI Economy Institute and detailed in a January 2026 blog post on ‘On the Issues’. It highlights the rapid ascent of DeepSeek, a Chinese open-source AI platform, in African markets. Microsoft notes that DeepSeek’s free access and strategic partnerships have driven adoption rates 2 to 4 times higher in Africa than in other regions, positioning it as a key factor in China’s expanding technological influence.4,5
Backstory on the Source: Microsoft’s Perspective
Microsoft, a global technology leader with deep investments in AI through partnerships like OpenAI, tracks worldwide AI diffusion to inform its strategy. The 2025 report analyses user data across countries, revealing how accessibility shapes adoption. While Microsoft acknowledges its stake in broader AI proliferation, the analysis remains data-driven, emphasising DeepSeek’s role in underserved markets without endorsing geopolitical shifts.1,2,4
DeepSeek holds significant market shares in Africa: 16-20% in Ethiopia, Tunisia, Malawi, Zimbabwe, and Madagascar; 11-14% in Uganda and Niger. This contrasts with low uptake in North America and Europe, where Western models dominate.1,2,3
DeepSeek: The Chinese AI Challenger
Founded in 2023, DeepSeek is a Hangzhou-based startup rivalling OpenAI’s ChatGPT with cost-effective, open-source models under an MIT licence. Its free chatbot eliminates barriers like subscription fees or credit cards, appealing to price-sensitive regions. The January 2025 release of its R1 model, praised in Nature as a ‘landmark paper’ co-authored by founder Liang Wenfeng, demonstrated advanced reasoning for math and coding at lower costs.2,4
Strategic distribution via Huawei phones as default chatbots, plus partnerships and telecom integrations, propelled its growth. Adoption peaks in China (89%), Russia (43%), Belarus (56%), Cuba (49%), Iran (25%), and Syria (23%). Microsoft warns this could serve as a ‘geopolitical instrument’ for Chinese influence where US services face restrictions.2,3,4
Broader Implications for Africa and the Global South
Africa’s AI uptake accelerates via free platforms like DeepSeek, potentially onboarding the ‘next billion users’ from the global South. Factors include Huawei’s infrastructure push and awareness campaigns. However, concerns arise over biases, such as restricted political content aligned with Chinese internet access, and security risks prompting bans in the US, Australia, Germany, and even Microsoft internally.1,2
Leading Theorists on AI Geopolitics and Global Adoption
- Lavista Ferres (Microsoft AI researcher): Leads the lab behind the report. Observes DeepSeek’s technical strengths but notes political divergences, predicting influence on global discourse.2
- Liang Wenfeng (DeepSeek founder): Drives open-source innovation, authoring peer-reviewed work on efficient AI models that challenge US dominance.2
- Walid Kéfi (AI commentator): Analyses Africa’s generative AI surge, crediting free platforms for scaling adoption amid infrastructure challenges.1
These insights underscore a pivotal shift: AI’s future hinges on openness and accessibility, reshaping power dynamics between US and Chinese ecosystems.4
References
5. https://blogs.microsoft.com/on-the-issues/2026/01/08/global-ai-adoption-in-2025/
6. https://www.cryptopolitan.com/microsoft-says-china-beating-america-in-ai/
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