South Africa Launches Pan-African Initiative to Train 30,000 Students in Artificial Intelligence
South Africa has launched a new African initiative to prepare students for the growing world of artificial intelligence (AI). The programme will bring together 30 universities in Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa. It aims to train 30,000 students by 2028. The launch took place on 9 November 2026 at Stellenbosch University. According to the Centre for Epidemic Response and Innovation (CERI), the programme will also train university lecturers. They will then share their knowledge with students at their own institutions. This approach will help more African universities teach AI and support new research.
The programme will support 10 universities in Nigeria, 10 in South Africa, six in Kenya and four in Ghana. It will provide training, learning materials and support for new AI courses. Students will learn how AI works and how to build and improve AI systems. The programme also gives lecturers the skills to teach these subjects. Google.org provides the funding, while FATE Foundation and the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS) South Africa manage the programme. Google DeepMind developed the course content, with support from University College London. The official programme website provides further details.
Ghana has already taken part in the training. From 24 to 28 August 2026, lecturers from four Ghanaian universities attended a workshop in Accra. These included the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, the University of Education, Winneba, the University of Business and Integrated Development Studies, and Ghana Communication Technology University. The Ghana workshop report provides details of the training.
Artificial intelligence is changing how people learn, work and solve problems. It is already finding uses in healthcare, farming, education and business. African countries must therefore prepare their people to take part in this change. They cannot depend only on technology developed outside the continent. Africa needs skilled researchers who can build new tools and find solutions to local problems. This also requires stronger universities, better research facilities and more support for young innovators.
The new programme is a welcome step, but its real value will depend on what happens next. Universities must turn the training into regular courses, research and practical projects. More importantly, African students must have the chance to use their knowledge to solve problems at home. For Africa, technological progress must go beyond learning how to use other people’s inventions. The continent must also build the skills and knowledge to create its own. Cooperation among African universities can help make that possible.
