12,000 learners in South Africa and Kenya are set to gain crucial Artificial Intelligence (AI) skills for the rapidly evolving job market through a Google.org supported project.
The program will provide a free extracurricular course, ranging from 40 to 80 hours, aiming to prepare participants for both technical and non-technical jobs. The training will be delivered through two distinct streams:
• AI for software engineers: equipping 6,000 aspiring and early-career engineers with essential AI-powered programming tools and workflows.
• AI for non-tech careers: Training 6,000 students and junior employees in diverse sectors such as legal, education, and health to integrate AI into their daily administrative tasks, significantly enhancing efficiency, productivity, and employability.
This comes after WeThinkCode, a South African tech academy, which will be running the project, was awarded $2 million in funding from Google.org.
This grant will enable WeThinkCode to dramatically expand its AI training programmes in South Africa and Kenya.
Through this contribution, Google.org said it is supporting WeThinkCode to not only address Africa’s immediate digital skills gap but also lay the foundation for long-term economic growth driven by AI proficiency.
The program is set to run through 2026, with employer showcases and outcome measurements ensuring its impact on job readiness and market adoption.
The initiative comes as Africa faces a significant digital skills gap; a recent SAP report highlights that 90% of companies in Africa are negatively impacted by a lack of AI skills, experiencing project delays, failed innovation, and an inability to take on new work.
Now, WeThinkCode, which has long been dedicated to bridging this gap by training unemployed youth from low-income backgrounds to become work-ready software engineers, will spearhead the project to nurture skills.
Through its tuition-free, aptitude-based training model, the academy provides access to tech education for individuals traditionally underrepresented in the sector.
With AI poised to transform industries globally, it said this new initiative ensures that African youth are at the forefront of this digital revolution.
Nyari Samushonga, CEO of WeThinkCode, said:“AI is redefining the future of work, and without intervention, Africa risks being left behind. This program ensures that young people, regardless of their socio-economic background, have the skills to participate in and shape the digital economy in meaningful and relevant ways into the future.”
The initiative, according to the two parties, is committed to inclusivity, targeting individuals from low-income households and those in peri-urban and rural areas, fostering wider adoption of AI across the continent.
To ensure successful delivery and broad accessibility, WeThinkCode will enhance its Learning Management System to support both remote and in-person training, with local language adaptations.
The two went on to say the program will also leverage existing partnerships with companies across financial services, telecommunications, and tech consulting to showcase participants’ newly acquired AI capabilities and significantly improve their employment prospects.
“AI is a transformative technology, and it’s critical that the benefits are accessible to all,” said Haviva Kohl, senior program manager at Google.org. “By providing funding to WeThinkCode_, we are helping to create opportunities for African youth to develop AI skills that will make them more competitive in the job market and drive inclusive innovation across the continent.”
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