Google Cloud has announced a fresh wave of investments in Africa, including new infrastructure, an applied artificial intelligence lab, expanded connectivity, and programmes targeting startups, creators, and young tech talent.
The announcements were made during Google Cloud’s inaugural Cloud Summit in Africa, held at the Sandton Convention Centre in South Africa.
The summit, themed “Building for Africa with Google Cloud,” brought together 3,000 business leaders, developers, public sector officials, and partners.
The event builds on Google’s 2025 launch of its Johannesburg Cloud Region, which the company says is expected to contribute $90.6 billion, about ZAR 1.7 trillion, in additional gross economic output and support 314,900 jobs by 2030.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, who opened the summit, said the event confirmed Africa’s growing importance in the global cloud and artificial intelligence ecosystem.
“Today’s Google Cloud Summit affirms Africa’s position as a core growth region for the global cloud ecosystem,” Ramaphosa stated.
“As we step boldly into the age of artificial intelligence, our aspiration is to anchor South Africa as a catalyst for the continent’s digital ascendancy,” he added.
Among the key announcements was a new connectivity hub, known as a Digital Exchange Port, in the Eastern Cape, South Africa.
According to Google, the hub will be the first of four connectivity hubs the company has committed to delivering on the continent.
The Eastern Cape hub is expected to position South Africa as a strategic international switching point by directly connecting the continent to Australia through the Umoja subsea cable and supporting a new subsea route to India.
Google said the move is part of its broader plan to improve internet connectivity, strengthen resilience, and support reliable cloud services across Africa.
The company also announced Africa’s first applied AI lab, which will be based in Ghana at the Accra AI Community Centre.
The Google Africa Applied AI Lab will bring together the Google AI Futures Fund, Google Research, and venture capital partners to support African founders working on AI-driven solutions.
The lab will give selected founders access to Google researchers and early access to the company’s latest AI models.
Applications for the lab are now open and will close on August 31, 2026.
Google also announced a partnership with The Akuna Group to support underrepresented creators in Africa through AI creative education.
The programme is backed by more than $1 million, approximately R17 million, in Google.org funding and will provide creators with AI training and advanced digital tools.
The company said the initiative is aimed at helping African creatives tell locally rooted stories in new ways while creating pathways for professional growth.
In South Africa, Google’s Economic and Community Development programme and WeThinkCode will build a R3 million digital innovation centre at the George Tabor Campus of South West Gauteng TVET College in Soweto.
Once completed, the centre is expected to serve as a skills platform for young people who are often overlooked by the technology industry.
Google further announced that applications for the 2026 South African cohort of its Google for Startups Accelerator will open on July 21, 2026.
The programme will select 15 local startups for an AI-focused curriculum, hands-on mentorship, and non-dilutive, equity-free funding.
According to Google, the programme forms part of its pledge to support 50 African ventures between 2024 and 2028.
James Manyika, Google’s Senior Vice President for Research, Labs, Technology and Society, said the company was committed to working with African innovators to help the continent benefit from artificial intelligence.
“The AI opportunity for Africa is significant, and Google is committed to doing our part working with Africans to help Africa realise it,” Manyika said.
He added that the new investments would focus on critical areas such as infrastructure, African-led innovation, education, and skills development.
Google Cloud Vice President for UK, Ireland, and Sub-Saharan Africa Maureen Costello noted that African enterprises were moving beyond early AI experimentation.
She said organisations such as Vodacom, Discovery, Pepkor, and Naspers were already laying the groundwork to build and deploy AI agents capable of solving African challenges in real-world environments.
The latest initiatives build on Google’s existing $1 billion investment commitment in Africa, its recent $37 million funding for AI skills and research, and the launch of the AI Community Centre in Accra last year.
Google said its broader work on the continent also includes support for AI tools in early hunger forecasting, crop resilience, startup funding, and digital skills training through Google Career Certificate scholarships.
