Google has announced a new wave of investment to accelerate Africa’s digital future with plans to build four new subsea cable hubs across the continent and an additional nine million dollars committed to artificial intelligence research. The announcement was made by Alex Okosi, Managing Director for Google in Africa, who noted that the initiative will significantly expand the company’s Africa Connect program, which has already delivered major infrastructure such as the Equiano cable, the Umoja fiber route, and the Google Cloud region in Johannesburg. The new hubs are expected to serve at least eighteen African nations, providing faster, more resilient internet connections while enhancing regional and global digital integration.
The Google undersea cable hubs in Africa will run from Egypt to South Africa, touching crucial areas in nations including Namibia, Nigeria, and Kenya. These centers will boost access to high-speed connections in both urban and rural areas, lower latency, and bolster Africa’s capacity to manage the continent’s increasing internet traffic.
The majority of international data traffic is carried by submarine cables, which serve as the backbone of the global internet. Google’s recent investment guarantees that Africa will not fall behind in this crucial area of connectivity. Internet services in a number of African countries are now powered by the company’s prior infrastructure, most notably the Equiano cable that runs along the western seaboard, but the new rollout will significantly expand capacity and reach.
Beyond connectivity, Google is also focusing on equipping Africa with the skills and tools needed to thrive in an AI-driven economy. The corporation has also committed nine million dollars in new funding for AI research and training in African colleges and institutes, in addition to the cable investment.
In addition to directly assisting about three million kids, this will expand on previous pledges of more than seventeen million dollars for training, curriculum, and access to cutting-edge computing tools. The goal is to assist young Africans in becoming proficient in AI-related sectors that are becoming essential to international enterprises, such as cloud engineering and machine learning. Additionally, Google intends to make AI-powered platforms like Gemini Pro available to qualified students so they can conduct cutting-edge research and innovation.
This initiative comes at a time when Africa is emerging as a growing hub for digital innovation. Recent reports suggest that nearly 78 percent of African youth use AI tools weekly, a sign that technology adoption is accelerating rapidly. Countries such as Nigeria, Kenya, and South Africa are already attracting millions of dollars in annual tech investments, particularly in AI and cloud services. By strengthening connectivity and investing in education, Google is helping to position the continent as both a consumer and creator of digital solutions.
These new efforts build on Google’s broader footprint in Africa. The company has already given internet access to over 100 million Africans, funded companies in seventeen countries, and taught over seven million people in digital skills. The introduction of new subsea cable hubs and AI financing supports the long-term goal of its Africa Connect program, which aims to increase access and opportunity. Together with significant investments in artificial intelligence, the deployment of Google subsea cable centers in Africa represents a significant advancement for the continent’s digital economy, offering improved prospects, more robust infrastructure, and a more promising future for millions of people.
