Governing AI-Driven Sustainable Supply Chains for SME Participation in Africa: A Scoping Review
Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly embedded in sustainable supply chains through traceability systems, supplier scoring, risk analytics, demand forecasting, compliance monitoring and procurement platforms. These tools can improve transparency, reduce waste and strengthen resilience, but they can also convert sustainability into a data-intensive gatekeeping regime that disadvantages small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). This scoping review maps peer-reviewed evidence published between February 2021 and January 2026 on AI-enabled sustainable supply chain governance, with attention to SME participation and African or comparable emerging-market relevance. A PRISMA-aligned search identified 892 records, screened 624 titles and abstracts, assessed 186 full texts and retained 60 DOI-bearing journal studies. The synthesis finds that AI is most often framed as a performance and resilience tool, whereas governance questions of proportional evidence, explainability, supplier appeal rights and tiered compliance remain underdeveloped. The review proposes an inclusion-oriented framework linking digital infrastructure, algorithmic mechanisms and governance safeguards to sustainability and SME participation outcomes.