Google plans to invest $1-billion over five years to support Africa’s digital transformation.

The investment will focus on enabling fast, affordable Internet access; building helpful products; supporting entrepreneurs and small businesses; and helping nonprofit organisations to improve lives across Africa.

“We have made huge strides together over the past decade, but there is more work to do to make the Internet accessible, affordable and useful for every African. [Google has] reaffirmed its commitment to the continent through an investment of $1-billion over five years to support Africa’s digital transformation to cover a range of initiatives – from improved connectivity to investment in startups,” says Google and Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai.

Speaking during a virtual Google for Africa event, he said that the investment includes the landing of the Equiano subsea cable, which will enable faster Internet speeds and lower connectivity costs, as it spans South Africa, Namibia, Nigeria and St Helena and connects Africa with Europe.

Further, as Internet access is also hampered by the high prices of smartphones, Android has developed a device locking technology as part of the Android platform that will enable partners to offer financed devices.

“Google has collaborated with Kenya’s largest carrier, Safaricom, to support the launch of the first ‘device financing’ plan in Kenya, and will expand this initiative across Africa with partners such as Airtel, MKOPA, MTN, Orange, Transsion Holdings and Vodacom, besides others,” he says, noting that these partnerships will help millions of first-time smartphone users gain access to quality, affordable Android smartphones.

In addition, The Gambia’s government has adopted Plus Codes, a free and open-source addressing system, to provide addresses for residents and businesses across the capital, Banjul, and the initiative is being rolled out to the rest of the country.

In due course, Plus Codes will expand into South Africa, Kenya and other countries in partnership with governments and nongovernmental organisations.

The group also aims to assist with low-interest loans to help small businesses and equity investments in African startups.

Google is targeting investments in entrepreneurship and technology through a Black Founders Fund, where it will invest in black-led startups across Africa by providing cash awards and hands-on support.

This adds to Google’s existing support through the Google for Startups Accelerator Africa, which has helped more than 80 African startups with equity-free finance, working space and access to expert advisers over the last three years.

Google also announced the launch of an Africa Investment Fund through which the company will invest $50-million in startups and provide them with access to Google’s employees, network and technologies to help them build meaningful products for their communities.

In collaboration with the nonprofit organisation Kiva, Google is providing $10-million in low-interest loans to help small businesses and entrepreneurs in Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa get through the economic hardship created by Covid-19.

“I am so inspired by the innovative African tech startup scene. In the last year, we have seen more investment rounds into technology startups than ever before. I am of the firm belief that no one is better placed to solve Africa’s biggest problems than Africa’s young developers and startup founders. We look forward to deepening our partnership with, and support for, Africa’s innovators and entrepreneurs,” says Google in Africa MD Nitin Gajria.

“I am happy to note that Google has been active in supporting small to medium-sized enterprises, dedicating even more resources to this sector, since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. In the last 12 months, Google has helped close to 500 000 African businesses get online and reach new customers,” adds Small Business Development Minister Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams.

Google.org is also expanding its commitment to support nonprofit organisations, with $40-million to help more partners who are responding to the challenges they see first-hand in their communities.

This includes innovators like the Airqo team at Makerere University, in Kampala, Uganda, which uses artificial intelligence and sensors to monitor poor air quality, a leading cause of premature death.

Google is providing $3-million in new grant funding to expand this pioneering work from Kampala across ten cities in five countries on the continent.

The investment expands Google’s ambitions for Africa’s digital transformation and entrepreneurship.

Following the 2017 launch of its Grow with Google initiative, with a commitment to train ten-million young Africans and small businesses in digital skills, some six-million people across 25 African countries have been trained, with over 60% of participants experiencing growth in their career and/or business as a result.

Google has also supported more than 50 nonprofit organisations across Africa with over $16-million of investment, and enabled hundreds of millions of Africans to access Internet services for the first time through Android.