Google invests in Africa projects

Google is to establish a connectivity hub in the Eastern Cape, the first of four planned connectivity hubs on the African continent, and develop a digital innovation centre in Soweto, in South Africa, it announced at the first Africa Cloud Summit in Johannesburg. Google said it has exceeded a five-year target to invest $1bn in Africa, as it made public initiatives on infrastructure and development of AI to accelerate the continent's digital growth, reports Bizcommunity. The Eastern Cape facility will link Africa to Australia via the Umoja subsea cable and to India through a new route, strengthening internet resilience and capacity. A more than $1m 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 also committed to build a $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.