Google has announced a set of new investments aimed at strengthening Africa’s digital infrastructure, with South Africa a key focus.
Alex Okosi, MD for Google in Africa | image supplied
The company will establish four subsea cable connectivity hubs across the continen, in the north, south, east and west – to create new digital corridors between Africa and the rest of the world.
One of these hubs will be based in South Africa, building on Google’s existing Africa Connect programme, which includes the Johannesburg Cloud region and the Equiano cable.
Alongside the infrastructure expansion, Google is providing free one-year subscriptions to its Google AI Pro plan for university students in seven countries, including South Africa. The subscription offers access to AI-powered research and productivity tools such as Gemini 2.5 Pro.
Google has also committed $9m (around R166m) in funding for African universities and research institutions over the next year. This adds to more than $17m already invested in curriculum, training and computing resources since 2021.
According to Google, its connectivity initiatives have enabled 100 million Africans to access the internet for the first time. The Equiano cable alone is expected to boost South Africa’s GDP by an estimated $5.8bn (R107bn) this year.
Alex Okosi, managing director for Google in Africa, said the announcements form part of a unified strategy to support Africa’s youth.
“Africa’s digital economy holds immense potential, and it will be driven by the talent and ingenuity of its next generation. Today’s announcements are a unified investment into the continent’s upward trajectory.”
Google has operated in Africa for nearly two decades and committed $1bn to support digital transformation across the continent. Its initiatives have included digital skills training for over seven million Africans and support for 153 startups across 17 countries.
