Looking to reaffirm its commitment to Africa – particularly its youth – Google has initiated a number of projects focused on empowering the continent’s next generation through AI, unlocking opportunities and expanding on the innovation capacity of young Africans.
New projects will cover Internet connectivity, youth-led learning and innovation, and skills training.
Connectivity
Google is announcing four strategic subsea cable connectivity hubs in the north, south, east and west regions of Africa. This investment creates new digital corridors within Africa and between Africa and the rest of the world – ultimately deepening international connectivity and resilience, as well as spurring economic growth and opportunity.
This is the latest addition to Google’s Africa Connect infrastructure programme, which sees the company build vital connectivity across the continent: the Google Cloud region in Johannesburg serving users across the continent; the Equiano cable running along the entire western seaboard of the continent; and Umoja, the first fibre optic route to directly connect Africa with Australia (running through Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and South Africa).
Google’s investments to date have enabled 100-million Africans to access the Internet for the first time – and the Equiano cable alone is expected to increase real GDP this year in Nigeria, South Africa, and Namibia by an estimated $11,1-billion, $5,8-billion and $290-million respectively.
Youth-led learning and innovation
Enabling Africa’s young people to learn, innovate, and lead is critical to Africa’s development and economic growth. That’s why Google is also announcing free one-year subscriptions to Google AI Pro plan for college students (18 or older) across the continent – starting with Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria, South Africa, Rwanda and Zimbabwe.
The subscription provides advanced AI to students – from Deep Research, which helps save time with custom research reports and in-depth information from hundreds of sources across the Web, to Gemini 2.5 Pro, which provides help with assignments or writing.
Building skills and solutions
Equipping people with AI skills is critical. To date, Google has trained 7-million Africans and plans to train an additional 3-million students, young people, and teachers by 2030. Google is also bolstering local capacity by providing African universities and research institutions with over $17-million in funding, curriculum, training, and compute and access to advanced AI models over the past four years – with an additional $9-million planned for the coming year.
“Africa’s digital economy holds immense potential, and it will be driven by the talent and ingenuity of its next generation,” says Alex Okosi, MD of Google in Africa. “These announcements, spanning AI education, advanced tools for students, and expanded connectivity are a unified investment into the upward trajectory of the continent. We are committed to providing the foundational infrastructure, the cutting-edge tools, and the financial support necessary for Africa’s youth to innovate, lead, and build a thriving digital world.”