Google has announced a series of investments aimed at building Africa’s digital future, including a new subsea cable connectivity hub in South Africa, $9-million in new funding for African universities and research institutions and free one-year Google AI Pro subscriptions for college students.

The latest commitments focus on empowering Africa’s next generation through artificial intelligence (AI), unlocking opportunities and expanding on the innovation capacity of young Africans.

They cover Internet connectivity, youth-led learning and innovation and skills training.

“Africa’s digital economy holds immense potential, and it will be driven by the talent and ingenuity of its next generation,” says Google Africa MD Alex Okosi.

“[The] 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.”

The new subsea cable connectivity hub in South Africa forms part of four strategic subsea cable connectivity hubs in the north, south, east and west regions of Africa, creating digital corridors within Africa and the world.

This builds on Google’s Africa Connect infrastructure programme which includes the existing Johannesburg Google Cloud region, the Equiano cable running along the entire western seaboard of the continent, and the Umoja fibre route linking Africa to Australia, and running through Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of 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 gross domestic product this year in Nigeria, South Africa and Namibia by an estimated $11.1-billion, $5.8-billion and $290-million, respectively,” Okosi says.

The group is also offering free one-year Google AI Pro subscriptions for college students, aged 18 and older, starting in Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria, South Africa and Zimbabwe, providing students with access to advanced AI tools like Deep Research and Gemini 2.5 Pro to support their studies.

Deep Research assists in time saving with custom research reports and in-depth information from hundreds of sources across the web, while Gemini 2.5 Pro provides help with assignments or writing.

Further, new funding of $9-million will be provided for African universities and research institutions over the next year, adding to the $17-million already invested in local capacity building.

“Equipping people with AI skills is critical. To date, Google has trained seven-million Africans and plans to train an additional three-million students, young people, and teachers by 2030,” Okosi continues.

These announcements are the latest chapter in Google’s long-term investment in the continent, which has delivered on $1-billion of investment.

“Google’s sustained commitment to Africa has included driving connectivity; training more than seven-million people across the continent in digital skills to support the future workforce; and supporting 153 startups from 17 African nations through the Google for Startups Accelerator Africa, helping them raise $300-million and create 3 500 jobs.”

“Today’s announcements are another example of how Google is continuing to expand connectivity, increase product access and skills across the continent and enable African-led innovation – with more to come,” Okosi concludes.