Google has announced that it will provide advanced AI tools to college students (aged 18 or older) in countries including Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, and Zimbabwe.
The students will receive a free one-year subscription to the Google AI Pro plan, which includes features like Deep Research for custom reports and expanded access to Gemini 2.5 Pro for help with homework, writing, and the new Guided Learning mode. By providing these tools for research, problem-solving, coding, and content creation, Google is empowering students to address continent-specific challenges and contribute to economic growth and societal progress.
Google has supported internet connectivity in Africa, a journey that began with an investment in the Seacom cable in 2006. In 2021, Google pledged $1 billion over five years to further this mission, a commitment that has been exceeded early. A new milestone in this commitment is the announcement of four strategic subsea cable connectivity hubs in the north, south, east, and west regions of Africa. This investment will create new digital corridors within the continent and between Africa and the rest of the world, deepening international connectivity, enhancing resilience, and stimulating economic growth. This is the latest addition to Google’s Africa Connect infrastructure program, which also includes the Google Cloud region in Johannesburg, the Equiano cable along the western seaboard, and Umoja, the first fiber optic route to directly connect Africa with Australia.
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. Additionally, Google has made Gemini available on Google Distributed Cloud, allowing more entrepreneurs, businesses, governments, and developers to use its advanced AI models with enhanced security, reliability, and resilience.
To date, Google has trained 7 million Africans and plans to train an additional 3 million students, young people, and teachers by 2030. The company is also bolstering local capacity by providing African universities and research institutions with over $17 million in funding, curriculum, training, compute, and access to advanced AI models over the past four years, with an additional $9 million planned for the coming year.
Last year, 110 new languages were added to Google Translate, including more than 30 African languages. Building on this, the company is expanding open datasets, evaluations, and voice models for over 40 African languages, with plans to reach more than 50 languages and publish 24 open speech datasets next year.
Google’s AI research teams in Kenya and Ghana have collaborated with local partners to conduct research to benefit both Africa and the world, with projects such as advanced flood forecasting, Open Buildings data, and strengthening crop resilience. Google’s goal is to reach 500 million Africans with its AI-powered innovations that help tackle societal challenges by 2030.