Google announced on September 19, 2025, that college students aged 18+ in eight African countries; Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, and Zimbabwe will receive free one year subscriptions to its Google AI Pro plan, valued at $19.99/month. This initiative, with sign ups required by October 6, 2025, aims to empower Africa’s youth, where 70% of the population is under 30, to leverage AI for education and innovation. The AI Pro plan includes advanced tools like Gemini 2.5 Pro for homework and coding assistance, NotebookLM Plus for creating study guides and quizzes, Deep Research for custom reports, Guided Learning Mode for personalized tutoring, and 2TB cloud storage via Google One.
Students can access these features through the Gemini app and Google Workspace, with experimental tools like Veo 3 (video generation) also available, though responsible use (e.g., citing AI content) is emphasized.This student program is part of Google’s broader $1 billion+ commitment over five years to accelerate Africa’s digital transformation through AI skills, connectivity, and infrastructure. The company plans to train 3 million more African students, teachers, and youth by 2030, building on 7 million already trained, and has invested $17 million in African universities for AI curricula and resources, with $9 million more planned next year.
Connectivity efforts include subsea cables like Equiano, projected to add $11.1 billion to Nigeria’s GDP and $5.8 billion to South Africa’s in 2025, and Umoja, linking Kenya to Australia. By providing tools and infrastructure, Google aims to prevent an “AI divide” and foster innovation in education, healthcare, and agriculture across the continent.
