Google Cloud said on Wednesday that its Johannesburg Cloud Region could generate an additional $90.6 billion in economic output and support nearly 315,000 jobs by 2030.
Maureen Costello, Vice President for UK, Ireland, and Sub-Saharan Africa at Google Cloud, made this known in a statement.
She said the projection was announced alongside five new Artificial Intelligence (AI) initiatives aimed at accelerating Africa’s digital transformation through infrastructure, innovation, startup funding, and digital skills development.
The announcements were made at Google’s inaugural Africa Cloud Summit in Johannesburg, which attracted about 3,000 business leaders, developers, public sector officials, and technology partners.
Costello added that the initiatives build on Google’s existing $1 billion investment commitment to Africa and recent investments in AI research, skills development, and innovation.
She announced plans to establish a Digital Exchange Port in South Africa’s Eastern Cape to strengthen internet resilience and international connectivity. The facility, the first of four planned African connectivity hubs, will connect the continent directly to Australia through the Umoja subsea cable and a new subsea route to India.
Costello also disclosed that Google launched Africa’s first Applied AI Lab in Accra, Ghana. The lab pairs African startup founders with Google researchers and provides early access to the company’s latest AI models to develop solutions for uniquely African challenges in business, education, creativity, software development, and other sectors.
She noted that African enterprises have moved beyond AI experimentation to deploying practical business solutions.
Costello further announced that applications for the 2026 South African Google for Startups Accelerator will open on July 21. The programme will admit 15 startups for AI-focused training, mentorship, and equity-free funding, as part of Google’s commitment to support 50 African ventures by 2028.
To deepen digital skills, Google will partner with WeThinkCode to establish a three-million-rand digital innovation centre at South West Gauteng TVET College in Soweto. The company also committed more than one million dollars through Google.org to support The Akuna Group’s AI education programme for underrepresented African creators.
The statement quoted South African President Cyril Ramaphosa as saying Africa is becoming a strategic growth region for the global cloud ecosystem through investments in AI and digital infrastructure.
Google Senior Vice President James Manyika said the investments reflect the company’s commitment to advancing African-led AI innovation. He added that the new initiatives will expand infrastructure, strengthen partnerships, and equip African innovators to harness AI for locally relevant solutions.
