The Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) and Google South Africa have signed a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at empowering young people with artificial intelligence and digital skills.
The Deputy Minister of Higher Education and Training, Dr Mimmy Gondwe, announced the agreement, noting that it represents a fourth successful public-private partnership focused on student and youth skills development, finalised through collaboration between her office and other DHET units and branches.
The MoU is designed to enhance digital capabilities, integrate AI into higher education, and strengthen workforce development across South Africa. It will provide access to training programmes for public universities, Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges, and Community Education and Training (CET) colleges, including an initial 10,000 Google Career Certificate scholarships.
The signing ceremony was held at Google South Africa’s headquarters in Johannesburg on Monday, 30 March 2026, and was officiated by Deputy Minister Gondwe alongside Google Country Director Mr Kabelo Makwane.
Deputy Minister Gondwe said she was excited about the partnership, stating that it will significantly boost digital skills development across institutions through Google Career Certificates, Generative AI for Educators, a train-the-trainer model, and other AI programmes. She emphasised that digital and AI skills are essential for employability, entrepreneurship, and preparing students—especially those in rural and township areas—for the modern job market.
Google South Africa Country Director, Mr Kabelo Makwane, said the company’s commitment to higher education is rooted in capacity building. He noted that AI has already become part of everyday life and highlighted research showing that Google tools contributed R118 billion to South Africa’s economy in 2023, with AI expected to add a further R172 billion by unlocking new skills and growth opportunities.
He added that closing the skills gap is essential to enabling youth to innovate for Africa’s unique needs, stressing that inclusivity is key to ensuring technology drives real economic growth.
The MoU outlines several key areas of cooperation, including skills training through 10,000 Google Career Certificate scholarships in fields such as AI Essentials, Cybersecurity, and Data Analytics, with a focus on rural and township communities. It also includes AI teacher training through programmes like Generative AI for Educators and a train-the-trainer model to expand skills transfer.
Additional areas include curriculum and product support, where Google will assist with AI curriculum development and localisation, as well as device support through ChromeOS Flex to extend the life of existing hardware and strengthen IT capacity in institutions. The agreement also covers collaboration on AI policy and governance to support responsible use of AI in public institutions.
The partnership will be implemented over a two-year period.
