Google has exceeded $1 billion Africa investment target

By Nqobile Dludla

JOHANNESBURG, July ‌1 (Reuters) - Google ​has ​exceeded a five-year target to invest $1 billion in Africa, it said on Wednesday, as it made public ‌initiatives on infrastructure and development of AI to accelerate ⁠the continent's digital growth.

They follow on from Google's launch of a cloud ‌for the Johannesburg region in ‌2025.

Here are the details of the new initiatives that Google, owned by Alphabet, announced at the first Africa Cloud ​Summit in Johannesburg.

• Google will establish a connectivity hub in South Africa's Eastern Cape, the first of four planned ⁠connectivity hubs on the continent.

• The facility will link Africa to Australia via the ​Umoja subsea cable and to India through a new route, strengthening internet resilience and capacity.

• Africa's first ​applied AI lab in Ghana will ‌pair local startups with Google researchers and provide early access to its AI models.

• A more ⁠than $1 million programme in partnership with UK actor Idris Elba's Akuna Group will train underrepresented creators in AI-driven storytelling.

• Google's Economic and ⁠Community Development programme and WeThinkCode have committed to build a 3 million ​rand ($183,468) digital innovation centre in Soweto, Johannesburg.

• Google also said its startup accelerator programme will back 15 South African firms as part of Google's ‌pledge to back 50 African ventures between 2024 and 2028.

• "The AI opportunity for Africa is significant, ‌and Google is committed to doing our part working with ⁠Africans to help Africa realise ‌it," James Manyika, Google's ​senior vice president for research and technology, told reporters.

($1 = 16.3516 rand)

(Reporting by Nqobile Dludla; editing by Barbara ‌Lewis)

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