Category Archives: Google Africa Blog

Google Africa Blog

We’re hiring for our first product development center in Africa

Are you an aspiring Engineering Manager, Product Manager, Software Engineer, Senior UX Designer or UX Researcher? Do you want to help us to create transformative products and services for people in Africa and around the world? Then apply for one of the numerous open roles at our new product development center in Nairobi. To help realise Google’s mission, we will be hiring visionary engineers, product managers, UX designers and researchers to lay the foundation for significant growth in the coming years.

We’re looking for talented, creative, and collaborative people who can help solve difficult and important technical challenges, such as improving the smartphone experience for people in Africa, or building products that will help everyone to thrive together.

Alongside great technical knowledge and a passion for solving hard problems together with others, you’ll need to understand how people across the continent use their phones every day and the challenges they face. How might searching for information and accessing entertainment be different in a context where internet connectivity can be challenging and devices and data plans can be expensive? Perhaps you have great ideas for how we can serve relevant and useful information to users just when they need it most? Or do you have a vision for how to reimagine the entire online experience, so it’s better, easier and more individually useful, particularly for first-time smartphone users? Then we want to hear from you.

Supporting Africa’s digital transformation will take teamwork – by 2030, Africa will have 800 million internet users and one-third of the world’s under-35 population. At our Google for Africa event last October, our CEO, Sundar Pichai, announced a plan to invest $1billion over the next five years in projects that will provide fast, reliable, affordable internet across the continent; build helpful, local products; and support the entrepreneurs and small businesses that underpin Africa’s economies. We also opened a Google AI research centre in Accra, Ghana to help drive useful innovations. The new product development centre is a continuation of that commitment.

Find out more about the opportunities
If you have the talent, experience and appetite to join our team, and want to work on significant and impactful projects with us in Africa, for Africa and the world, you can view all our open opportunities on our site. We’re excited to see what we can build together.

Posted by Suzanne Frey, VP, Products & Nitin Gajria, MD, Google in Africa

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Nous recrutons pour notre premier centre de développement de produits en Afrique

Vous aspirez à devenir responsable ingénierie, chef de produit, ingénieur logiciel, concepteur UX confirmé ou chercheur UX ? Vous voulez nous aider à créer des produits et services de transformation numérique pour les populations d'Afrique et du monde entier ? Alors postulez pour l'un des nombreux postes ouverts dans notre nouveau centre de développement de produits à Nairobi. Pour nous aider à réaliser la mission que Google s'est donnée, nous allons recruter des ingénieurs, des chefs de produit, des concepteurs UX et des chercheurs visionnaires afin de créer les conditions d'une forte croissance pour les années à venir.

Nous recherchons des personnes talentueuses, créatives et collaboratives, capables de trouver des solutions à des défis techniques difficiles et importants, par exemple pour améliorer l’expérience utilisateur sur les smartphones des personnes en Afrique, ou pour créer des produits qui vont favoriser la collaboration et permettre à chacun de progresser ensemble.

Outre d’excellentes connaissances techniques et une passion pour la résolution de problèmes difficiles en collaboration avec d’autres personnes, vous devrez comprendre comment les habitants de ce continent utilisent leurs téléphones au quotidien et les défis auxquels ils sont confrontés. Avez-vous pensé à une autre façon de rechercher des informations et d'accéder au divertissement quand la connectivité à l'Internet est difficile et les appareils et les forfaits de données sont coûteux ? Vous avez peut-être plein d'idées pour nous aider à diffuser des informations pertinentes et utiles aux utilisateurs quand ils en ont le plus besoin... Ou bien avez-vous en tête une façon de réimaginer l'ensemble de l'expérience en ligne, pour la rendre meilleure, plus facile et plus utile à chacun, en particulier pour les personnes qui utilisent un smartphone pour la première fois ? Si oui, nous avons envie d'entendre ce que vous avez à nous dire.

Soutenir la transformation numérique de l'Afrique nécessitera un travail d'équipe. D'ici à 2030, l'Afrique comptera 800 millions d'internautes et un tiers de la population mondiale des moins de 35 ans. Lors de notre événement Google pour l'Afrique en octobre dernier, notre PDG, Sundar Pichai, a annoncé un plan d'investissement d'un milliard de dollars au cours des cinq prochaines années pour financer des projets visant à fournir un accès Internet rapide, fiable et abordable sur tout le continent, à créer des produits locaux utiles et à accompagner les entrepreneurs et les petites entreprises qui soutiennent les économies africaines. Nous avons également ouvert un centre de recherche sur l'IA Google à Accra, au Ghana, pour favoriser des innovations utiles. Le nouveau centre de développement de produits s'inscrit dans la continuité de cet engagement.

En savoir plus sur les opportunités
Si vous avez le talent, l’expérience et l’envie de rejoindre notre équipe, et si vous souhaitez travailler sur des projets importants et marquants avec nous en Afrique, pour l’Afrique et pour le reste du monde, vous pouvez consulter toutes nos offres d’emploi sur notre site. Nous sommes impatients de voir ce que nous pouvons construire ensemble.

Auteurs : Suzanne Frey, VP, Produits & Nitin Gajria, MD, Google en Afrique

Source: Official Google Africa Blog

Google at the African Union

En Français

From sustainability efforts to mobile health and payments, Africa is increasingly at the forefront of innovations that spread globally – and it is a central part of Google’s own engagement with the world. This past February, our CEO Sundar Pichai addressed the African Union and shared Google’s commitment to encourage and enable innovation and entrepreneurship across the continent in support of African aspirations for digital transformation to fuel economic growth.

Since 2017, we’ve trained 6 million young Africans and businesses in digital skills. We’ve supported more than 50 African nonprofits with over $16 million in grants, and helped 100 million more people access internet services for the first time through Android. And we have committed to investing $1 billion in support of Africa’s digital transformation over the next five years.

Africa is currently home to 1.3 billion people, or 16% of the global population. It has the world’s youngest, fastest-growing, and increasingly urbanized workforce. Our work in Africa has never been more important, and that’s why we recently created a one-of-a-kind position to connect directly with stakeholders across the continent through pan-African institutions such as the African Union Commission, UN Economic Commission for Africa, and African Development Bank.

Stepping into the role is Pren-Tsilya Boa-Guehe, a former U.S. diplomat most recently working at the U.S. Mission to the African Union. She brings a wealth of policy and NGO experience in Côte d’Ivoire, Mali, Morocco, Geneva, and Washington, D.C. We caught up with her to talk about the role:

Pren-Tsilya, tell us a little bit about what you’ve been up to since starting at Google.

The last few months have been a whirlwind – moving to Kenya during the pandemic, starting in a new office while working from home, and settling in my role. It’s still surreal to me that I’m working here. And, of course, there’s been all of my work to build out an agenda for Google with the African Union (AU) and for our CEO to participate in the AU Summit. Pan-African institutions like the AU are critical partners because they enable African leaders to shape the continent’s priorities. It’s a privilege to work with them to amplify our impact in the region. My first objective was to develop a comprehensive policy portfolio in partnership with colleagues at Google, reflecting the investments we have made and the needs of stakeholders across the African continent. These include:

Supporting Africa’s COVID response through economic recovery. Technology has been a lifeline for many people throughout the pandemic. As we head into year three of the pandemic, I’m looking to develop a partnership with pan-African institutions focused on the economic recovery through digital skills, training, and tools for small and medium businesses for women and youth entrepreneurs across the continent. Through Kiva, Google is providing $10M in low-interest loans to help small businesses and entrepreneurs in Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa get through the economic hardship created by COVID-19. Google is also investing directly in African start-ups through a dedicated $50 million Africa Investment Fund and our global Black Founders Fund.

Enabling internet access and facilitating digital trade for Africa’s economic growth. The internet economy in Africa has the potential to grow to $180 billion by 2025, but there are some regulatory and infrastructure challenges that must be addressed to reach this goal. Our Digital Sprinters report informs our activities and policy priorities around Africa’s digital transformation. The AU’s continent-wide policy initiatives can help to accelerate Africa’s digital transformation through the AU’s Digital Transformation Strategy and the African Continental Free Trade Area. These initiatives will help to position Africa to leapfrog by using technology as a driver of economic growth. On the infrastructure front, Google is bringing really innovative solutions to expand affordable and reliable internet access. Our Equiano subsea will run through Togo, South Africa, Namibia, Nigeria and St Helena and Project Taara uses invisible beams of light to deliver high-speed connectivity to rural areas in Africa.

Advancing climate protections in advance of the first African COP. COP-27, the global climate summit, will be held in Egypt later this year – marking the first time the conference has been held on the continent. As Africa is especially vulnerable in our current climate crisis, Google will be working directly with African leadership and international organizations ahead of the conference to address this problem.

Providing a platform for African cultural treasures and collections. Africa has such rich cultures and traditions. Since 2012, Google Arts & Culture has partnered with institutions across the continent to preserve art and culture, providing a free online platform which anyone around the world can access. The result is hundreds of expertly-curated stories about Africa by Africans. This includes Mali Magic, a project that shines a light on Mali’s vibrant culture through its manuscripts and Street View of at-risk mausoleums and mosques. There is also Cradle of Creativity, a project dedicated to the creative history and heritage of Africa. I’m eager to partner with the AU to share more of Africa’s magic with the world.

What does your day-to-day look like?
To implement these top priorities, my day-to-day involves lots of meetings. I see myself as a bridge between Google and African institutions, so I’m constantly meeting key stakeholders across the continent that are part of the ecosystem– African government regulators, leaders of African institutions, corporate leaders, NGO leaders, think tank representatives, and people on the ground who use and are impacted by Google products daily. I try to understand their policy priorities and challenges and strategize with Google teams to see how we can be helpful. We are doing a lot in Africa, but I’m passionate about seeing how we can do even more.

Picture of Pren-Tsilya and Government Affairs Director for Africa

Charles Murito meeting with AU Commissioner Albert Muchanga and AU

Special Advisor Jean Bertrand Azapmo to discuss partnerships for small

and medium businesses, women’s entrepreneurship, and digital

trade.

Another important part of my work is participating in policy discussions, publications, and forums to exchange ideas and share Google’s thought leadership on issues we care about. For example, I share our views about the kinds of policies that can truly transform Africa’s digital economy. And, I’m excited to start traveling again to attend conferences in person when it is safe to do so. One of my first trips this year was in March to Mombasa for a policy discussion on the AfCFTA. Companies like Google need to be on the ground for these discussions to see how we can meaningfully contribute to African-led solutions to African and global problems.

Pren-Tsilya meeting in Mombasa with representatives from the African

Union Commission, AfCFTA Secretariat, UN Economic Commission for Africa,

private sector, and think tanks.

Why is this job important to you?
The AU Commissioner for Infrastructure and Energy, Amani Abou-Zeid, once said, “technology is not a luxury in Africa, it’s a necessity.” I really believe that and I believe I can be a part of that change through Google. And this job is personal to me because, although I’m an American, my roots are from Cote d’Ivoire. I have found that my multicultural background has helped me to relate to my counterparts at the AU and its diverse 55 member states.

My family is proud that I’m contributing to Africa’s digital transformation. I’m humbled to be working with such historic institutions and with an incredible company to improve the lives of Africans via technology.

How can folks keep up with your work?
Feel free to keep up with Google in Africa on Twitter and our blog.

Posted by Melike Yetken Krilla, Head of International Organizations

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Google présent au sommet de l’Union africaine

Des efforts en matière de développement durable à la santé en passant par les paiements mobiles, l’Afrique est de plus en plus à l’avant-garde des innovations qui se répandent dans le monde entier - et elle constitue un élément central de l’engagement de Google dans le monde. En février dernier, notre PDG, Sundar Pichai, s’est adressé à l’Union africaine et a fait part de l’engagement de Google en faveur de l’innovation et l’entrepreneuriat sur le continent, en apportant son soutien aux Africains qui aspirent à s'engager dans la transformation numérique pour accompagner la croissance économique.

Depuis 2017, nous avons formé 6 millions de jeunes Africains et d’entreprises aux compétences numériques. Nous avons soutenu plus de 50 organisations africaines à but non lucratif en offrant 16 millions de dollars de subventions, et aidé 100 millions de personnes supplémentaires à accéder aux services Internet pour la première fois grâce à Android. Par ailleurs, nous nous sommes engagés à investir 1 milliard de dollars pour soutenir la transformation numérique de l’Afrique au cours des cinq prochaines années.

L’Afrique compte actuellement 1,3 milliard d’habitants, soit 16 % de la population mondiale. Elle dispose de la main-d’œuvre la plus jeune et la plus dynamique du monde sur un continent de plus en plus urbanisé. Notre travail en Afrique n’a jamais été aussi important, c’est pourquoi nous avons récemment créé un poste unique en son genre qui nous permet d’entrer en contact direct avec les parties prenantes du continent par l’intermédiaire d’institutions panafricaines telles que la Commission de l’Union africaine, la Commission économique des Nations Unies pour l’Afrique et la Banque africaine de développement.

C’est l’ancienne diplomate américaine Pren-Tsilya Boa-Guehe, qui travaillait encore récemment à la mission des États-Unis auprès de l’Union africaine qui a été nommée à ce poste. Elle apporte la richesse de son expérience dans le domaine des politiques et des ONG qu’elle a acquise en Côte d’Ivoire, au Mali, au Maroc, à Genève et à Washington D.C. Nous l’avons rencontrée pour évoquer ses nouvelles fonctions :

Pren-Tsilya, parlez-nous un peu de votre action depuis votre arrivée chez Google.

J’ai vécu ces derniers mois dans un véritable tourbillon : j’ai déménagé au Kenya pendant la pandémie, j’ai pris mes fonctions dans un nouveau bureau tout en travaillant à distance depuis chez moi et en prenant mes marques. Je me suis bien sûr consacrée à l’élaboration d’un programme pour Google avec l’Union africaine (UA) en vue de la participation de notre PDG au sommet de l’UA. Les institutions panafricaines telles que l’UA sont des partenaires essentiels, car elles permettent aux dirigeants africains de définir les priorités à l’échelle du continent. C’est un privilège de travailler en collaboration avec eux pour amplifier notre impact dans la région. En partenariat avec mes collègues de Google, mon premier objectif était de mettre en place un portefeuille complet de politiques qui reflète les investissements que nous avons réalisés et les besoins des parties prenantes sur le continent africain. Exemples d’actions :

Soutenir l’Afrique dans sa réponse au COVID par la relance économique. La technologie a joué un rôle vital pour de nombreuses personnes tout au long de la pandémie. Alors que nous entrons dans la troisième année de la pandémie, ma mission consiste à construire un partenariat avec des institutions panafricaines qui met l’accent sur la relance économique par le renforcement des compétences numériques, la mise en place de formations et d’outils destinés aux petites et moyennes entreprises, aux femmes et aux jeunes entrepreneurs sur l’ensemble du continent. Par le biais de Kiva, Google fournit 10 millions de dollars en prêts à faible taux d’intérêt pour aider les petites entreprises et les entrepreneurs au Ghana, au Kenya, au Nigeria et en Afrique du Sud à surmonter les difficultés économiques engendrées par le COVID-19. Google investit également directement dans les start-up africaines par l’intermédiaire d’un Fonds d’investissement pour l’Afrique doté de 50 millions de dollars et de notre fonds mondial Fonds pour les fondateurs noirs.

Permettre l’accès à l’Internet et faciliter le commerce numérique pour favoriser la croissance économique de l’Afrique. Le potentiel de croissance de l’économie de l’Internet en Afrique est estimé à 180 milliards de dollars d’ici à 2025, mais certains problèmes de réglementation et d’infrastructure doivent être résolus pour atteindre cet objectif. Le rapport Digital Sprinters nous permet de définir nos actions et nos priorités politiques axées sur la transformation numérique de l’Afrique. Les initiatives politiques de l’UA à l’échelle du continent peuvent contribuer à accélérer la transformation numérique de l’Afrique dans le cadre de la Stratégie de transformation numérique et de la Zone de libre-échange continentale africaine. Ces initiatives aideront l’Afrique à se positionner pour progresser de manière significative en utilisant la technologie comme moteur de la croissance économique. Sur le plan des infrastructures, Google apporte des solutions réellement innovantes pour étendre l’accès à l’Internet abordable et fiable. Le câble sous-marin appelé Equiano traversera le Togo, l’Afrique du Sud, la Namibie, le Nigeria et Sainte-Hélène tandis que le projet Taara utilise des faisceaux lumineux invisibles pour fournir une connectivité à haut débit dans les zones rurales d’Afrique.

Promouvoir les protections climatiques en prévision de la première COP africaine. La COP-27, le sommet mondial sur le climat, se tiendra en Égypte dans le courant de l’année. C’est la première fois que la conférence se déroulera sur le continent. L’Afrique étant particulièrement vulnérable dans la crise climatique que nous connaissons aujourd’hui, Google travaillera directement avec les dirigeants africains et les organisations internationales en amont de la conférence pour proposer des solutions.

Fournir une plateforme pour rassembler les trésors et les collections de la culture africaine. L’Afrique possède des cultures et des traditions d’une immense richesse. Depuis 2012, Google Arts & Culture s’est associé à des institutions du continent pour préserver l’art et la culture, en fournissant une plateforme en ligne gratuite à laquelle chacun peut accéder depuis n’importe quel pays du monde. Cette plateforme offre ainsi des centaines d’histoires sur l’Afrique transmises par des Africains et sélectionnées par des experts. Il s’agit notamment du projet Mali Magic, qui met en avant la richesse de la culture du Mali à travers ses manuscrits et la localisation à l’aide de Street View des mausolées en danger et des mosquées. On peut aussi citer le projet Cradle of Creativity, consacré à l’histoire et au patrimoine créatifs de l’Afrique. Je me réjouis à la perspective de collaborer avec l’UA pour mieux faire connaître la magie de l’Afrique à l’ensemble du monde.

À quoi ressemble vos journées ?
Pour mettre en œuvre ces grandes priorités, je participe à de nombreuses réunions. Je joue un rôle de passerelle entre Google et les institutions africaines. Je passe beaucoup de temps à rencontrer les principales parties prenantes du continent qui font partie de l’écosystème, à savoir les autorités de réglementation des gouvernements africains, les dirigeants des institutions africaines, les chefs d’entreprise, les responsables d’ONG, les représentants des groupes de réflexion et les habitants sur le terrain qui utilisent quotidiennement les produits Google et qui en mesurent l’impact dans leur vie au quotidien. J’essaie de comprendre leurs priorités et les difficultés politiques auxquelles ils sont confrontés et d’élaborer une stratégie avec les équipes de Google pour voir comment nous pouvons être utiles. Nous sommes très présents en Afrique, mais je souhaite ardemment que nous puissions faire faire encore plus.

Photo de Pren-Tsilya et du directeur des affaires gouvernementales

pour l’Afrique, Charles Murito, lors d’une réunion avec le

Commissaire de l’UA, Albert Muchanga, et le Conseiller spécial de l’UA,

Jean Bertrand Azapmo, consacrée à la mise en place de partenariats

pour les petites et moyennes entreprises, l’entrepreneuriat féminin et le

commerce numérique.

Une autre partie importante de mon travail consiste à participer à des discussions sur les politiques, à des publications et à des forums afin d’échanger des idées et de partager la réflexion que mène Google sur les questions qui nous tiennent à cœur. Par exemple, je partage nos points de vue sur les types de politiques qui peuvent véritablement transformer l’économie numérique de l’Afrique. J’ai aussi hâte de pouvoir voyager à nouveau pour assister à des conférences lorsque cela sera possible. L’un des premiers déplacements que j’ai effectué cette année a eu lieu en mars. C’était à Mombasa pour une discussion politique sur l’AfCFTA. Les entreprises comme Google doivent être présentes sur le terrain lors de ces discussions afin de voir comment nous pouvons contribuer de manière significative aux solutions apportées par les Africains aux problèmes qui se posent à l’échelle de ce continent et du monde.

Pren-Tsilya à Mombasa lors d’une rencontre avec des représentants de la

Commission de l’Union africaine, du secrétariat de l’AfCFTA, de la

Commission économique des Nations unies pour l’Afrique, du secteur privé

et de groupes de réflexion.

Les entreprises comme Google doivent être présentes sur le terrain lors de ces discussions afin de voir comment nous pouvons contribuer de manière significative aux solutions apportées par les Africains aux problèmes qui se posent à l’échelle de ce continent et du monde.

Pourquoi ce travail est-il important pour vous ?
La Commissaire à l’infrastructure et à l’énergie de la Commission de l’UA, Amani Abou-Zeid, a déclaré un jour que « la technologie n’est pas un luxe en Afrique, c’est une nécessité. » J’en suis vraiment persuadée et je pense pouvoir prendre part à ce changement au travers de Google. Et ce poste me renvoie aussi à mon histoire personnelle, car bien que je sois américaine, mes racines sont en Côte d’Ivoire. J’ai constaté que mes origines multiculturelles m’aident à établir des relations avec mes homologues de l’UA et de ses 55 États membres.

Ma famille est fière que j’utilise mes compétences linguistiques, ma culture et mes différentes expériences professionnelles pour apporter ma contribution à la transformation numérique de l’Afrique. J’ai constaté que mes origines multiculturelles m’aident à établir des relations avec mes homologues de l’UA et de ses 55 États membres. C’est un honneur pour moi de travailler avec des institutions aussi illustres et pour une entreprise de cette envergure afin d’améliorer la vie des Africains grâce à la technologie.

Comment peut-on suivre votre travail ?
N’hésitez pas à suivre l’actualité de Google en Afrique sur Twitter et sur notre blog.

Poste par Melike Yetken Krilla, responsable des organisations internationales

Source: Official Google Africa Blog

The Equiano subsea cable has arrived in Togo, first stop in Africa

In 2019, we introduced the Equiano subsea cable, which will run from Portugal along the West Coast of Africa — connecting Europe to Togo, Nigeria, Namibia, South Africa, and St. Helena.

Today, we are announcing the Equiano subsea cable has arrived in Lomé, Togo — marking the cable’s first stop along Africa’s Atlantic coast.

People around the world use Google products every day to stay in touch with friends and family, find directions, connect with new customers or bring products to new markets. As 300 million people come online in Africa over the next five years, the Equiano cable is part of our ongoing commitment to Africa, expanding opportunity and improving connectivity in order to help bring the benefits of technology to more Africans.

With Togo’s strong commitment to boosting the digital economy, the arrival of Equiano is a key step in the country’s continued digital development. According to a recent economic impact assessment conducted by Africa Practice and Genesis Analytics, Equiano is expected to result in faster internet speeds, improved user experience, and lower internet prices in Togo. Internet speeds in the country are expected to more than double from 10 Mbps in 2021 to 21 Mbps in 2025, while retail internet prices are forecast to decline by 14% over the same period. Also according to the economic assessment, improved speeds and lower prices are expected to boost internet penetration: Between 2022 and 2025, Equiano should indirectly create 37,000 new jobs in Togo driven by the growth of the digital economy and peripheral sectors.

Main square (Place de l'Independance), Lome, Togo

Not only will the cable improve the resilience of the Google network, but other partners will be able to use and benefit from the Equiano cable’s capacity. We are partnering with multiple key telecom players, including Société d’infrastructures numériques (SIN) and CSquared, where Equiano lands to ensure that the cable can reach more businesses and end users across Togo and the African continent more broadly.

From Curie to Dunant to Firmina, we are proud to name many subsea cable projects after historical luminaries. The Equiano cable is no different, honoring Olaudah Equiano, a Nigerian-born writer and abolitionist.

Expected to be ready for service later this year, Equiano will carry approximately 20 times more network capacity than the last cable built to serve this region. We’ve worked with established local partners and experts to ensure that Equiano will be able to improve reliability in global communications and free flows of data.

With the arrival of the Equiano cable in Lomé, we look forward to helping contribute to the achievement of Togo’s digital goals and accelerating digital transformation not only in the country, but across the continent.

Posted by Nitin Gajria, Managing Director, Google Africa

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Le câble sous-marin Equiano est arrivé au Togo, sa première étape en Afrique

En 2019, nous avons lancé l’installation du câble sous-marin Equiano qui part du Portugal et longe la côte ouest de l’Afrique, reliant ainsi l'Europe au Togo, au Nigeria, à la Namibie, à l'Afrique du Sud et à Sainte-Hélène.

Aujourd’hui, nous annonçons que le câble sous-marin Equiano est arrivé à Lomé, au Togo, marquant ainsi le premier arrêt du câble le long de la côte atlantique africaine.

Des personnes du monde entier utilisent chaque jour les produits Google pour rester en contact avec leurs amis et leur famille, trouver un itinéraire, communiquer avec de nouveaux clients ou lancer des produits sur de nouveaux marchés. Alors que 300 millions de personnes seront connectées en Afrique au cours des cinq prochaines années, le câble Equiano s’inscrit dans le cadre de notre engagement envers l’Afrique à offrir toujours plus d'opportunités et à améliorer la connectivité afin de permettre à davantage d’Africains de tirer profit de la technologie.

Alors que le Togo investit beaucoup d'efforts à développer l'économie numérique, l’arrivée d’Equiano est une étape clé dans la poursuite du développement numérique du pays. D’après une récente évaluation de l’impact économique menée par Africa Practice et Genesis Analytics, Equiano devrait permettre d’accélérer le débit internet, d’améliorer l’expérience des utilisateurs et de réduire les prix de l’internet au Togo. Le débit internet dans le pays devrait plus que doubler, passant de 10 Mbps en 2021 à 21 Mbps en 2025, tandis que les prix consommateur devraient baisser de 14 % au cours de la même période. Toujours selon cette évaluation économique, l’amélioration des débits et la baisse des prix devraient stimuler la pénétration de l’internet : entre 2022 et 2025, Equiano devrait créer indirectement 37 000 nouveaux emplois au Togo portés par la croissance de l'économie numérique et des secteurs périphériques.

Non seulement le câble améliorera la résilience du réseau Google mais d'autres partenaires pourront utiliser et bénéficier de la capacité du câble Equiano. Nous nous associons à plusieurs acteurs clés du secteur des télécommunications dont la Société d'infrastructures numériques (SIN) et CSquared, où atterrit Equiano, pour faire en sorte que le câble puisse atteindre davantage d'entreprises et d'utilisateurs finaux au Togo et, plus largement, sur le continent africain.

De Curie à Firmina en passant par Dunant, nous sommes fiers de donner à de nombreux projets de câbles sous-marins le nom de personnalités historiques. Il en est de même pour le câble Equiano qui rend hommage à Olaudah Equiano, un écrivain et abolitionniste d'origine nigériane.

Equiano, qui devrait être prêt à fonctionner dans le courant de l'année, offrira une capacité de réseau environ 20 fois supérieure à celle du dernier câble construit pour desservir cette région. Nous avons travaillé avec des partenaires et des experts locaux bien établis pour nous assurer qu'Equiano sera en mesure d'améliorer la fiabilité des communications mondiales et la libre circulation des données.

Avec l’arrivée du câble Equiano à Lomé, nous sommes impatients de contribuer à la réalisation des objectifs numériques du Togo et d’accélérer la transformation numérique non seulement dans le pays mais aussi sur tout le continent.

Posté par Nitin Gajria, directeur général de Google Afrique

Source: Official Google Africa Blog

Helping Africans create their own opportunities

With African entrepreneurs raising more than $4 billion in funding in 2021, more than double the $1.5 billion raised in 2020, it’s clear investors around the globe are waking up to the continent’s potential. For some, like philanthropist Tony Elumelu, this growth is the validation of a long track record of backing African entrepreneurship.

Through the Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF), he has helped empower African entrepreneurs from across the continent. To date, TEF has distributed more than $85 million in grants for seed capital, and supported more than 1.5 million entrepreneurs from all 54 African countries through its proprietary digital platform, TEFConnect.net. Google is similarly enthusiastic about African startups and has supported them with funding, mentorship and skills development, among other things. That’s what makes it so exciting that TEF and Google’s paths are once again converging in 2022.

Last year, Google.org committed $3 million to the TEF to support an additional 500 female entrepreneurs across the continent. To further support the effort, this year, nine Google employees from Africa and Europe will devote six months of their time and expertise to TEF as part of the first Google.org Fellowship in Sub-Saharan Africa. Composed of engineers, user experience (UX) specialists and business and marketing managers, these Googlers will work with TEF full-time, pro bono, to build a new TEFConnect platform, equipped with new tools to help entrepreneurs access the resources they need to succeed.

Google.org fellows with Mr. Tony Elumelu, Founder, Tony Elumelu Foundation

We hope to support TEF in reaching one million more African entrepreneurs through the new TEFConnect, expected to launch later this year. The improved, more mobile-friendly TEFConnect platform will give those entrepreneurs access to a catalog of more curated educational resources, and more avenues for funding.

Additionally, as the world kicks off a month of celebration for International Women's Day, Google.org and The Tony Elumelu Foundation want to mark the occasion. As part of these collective celebrations, we will convene policymakers, private sector and entrepreneurs to engage in a discussion about entrepreneurship on the continent. We will hear from female entrepreneurs who have benefited from the Tony Elumelu Foundation’s support, as well as from notable leaders.

As the year 2022 progresses, we want to play a larger role in supporting the world's next generation of entrepreneurs. Africa's citizenry is youthful, optimistic and enterprising. There is so much to be gained by leveling the digital playing field and creating possibilities that will raise the ceiling for the continent’s population.

By bringing together people from the private and public sector and supporting entrepreneurs in areas that will make the most difference, we can go a long way to helping Africa’s entrepreneurs reach their full potential.

Posted by Juliet Ehimuan, Director for Google West Africa & Ifeyinwa Ugochukwu, CEO of The Tony Elumelu Foundation

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Source: Official Google Africa Blog

Meet Google for Startups Accelerator Africa Class 7

With broken supply chains, inadequate infrastructure, difficult cross border bureaucracies ,etc, intra-regional trade within Africa can be a huge challenge. For Bamba Lo, co-founder and CEO of PAPS, this is an opportunity to provide solutions to a problem that many businesses on the continent are familiar with. Founded in 2016, PAPS, a digital logistics company operating in West and Francophone Africa offers warehousing, tracking, transportation and last mile delivery services to small and large businesses. Paps is an alumnus of Google for Startups Accelerator Africa and like fellow startups on the continent they are contributing to economic growth using digital technologies.

African startups raised over $4bn in funding in 2021, a 2.5x more growth than in 2020 and with the rising trend of hundreds of millions in funding, Africa’s digital economy is once again in the spotlight.

Since introducing the Google for Startups Accelerator Africa program in 2018, we've supported 82 startups from 17 African countries, and they have collectively raised $112 million and created 2800 direct jobs.

We are pleased to announce a new cohort starting in March 2022! This cohort represents 7 countries from Africa with Coté d’Ivoire joining the program for the first time. Over the next 3 months, the startups will work with Google mentors and facilitators learning the best practices on a range of topics covering Artificial Intelligence, Big Data, organizational culture, growth strategies and more. The program operates a virtual bootcamp model; workshops, 1:1 mentorship and peer-to-peer learning.

Meet class 7 of Google for Startups Accelerator Africa:

Clafiya (Nigeria) : Clafiya connects patients to Health Practitioners to provide fast and affordable on demand primary care services in Africa.
Fleet simplify (Kenya) : Fleetsimplify is a fleet management platform for shared mobility.
HydroIQ (Kenya): HydroIQ is a virtual water network that gives consumers and utilities a single, transparent platform to manage their water consumption and management.
iVerify.ng (Nigeria): iVerify.ng is a digital identity onboarding platform.
LaRuche Health (Côte d'Ivoire): LaRuche Health offers inclusive apps that simplify care delivery & improve patient access to preventive healthcare services
LyRise (Egypt): LyRise is a platform that provides companies with an easier, faster way to hire and work with vetted AI and Data talents initially from Africa.
MDaaS Global (Nigeria): MDaas builds and operates modern, technology-enabled diagnostic services in clinically-underserved communities, starting in Nigeria.
Multiplied (South Africa): Multiplied offers data-driven design at scale through infinite personalized content for marketing.
Nulitics (South Africa): Nulitics is a specialist Mixed Reality (XR) software development and system integrator with a focus on XR wearable technology
Ridelink (Uganda): Ridelink makes cargo mobility affordable and accessible for Small businesses at the tap of a button.
SmartClass (Tanzania): SmartClass is a skill-learning network that enables youth to learn from their peers
Sukhiba (Kenya): Sukhiba is a decentralized community-based commerce platform.
Terawork (Nigeria): Terawork is a pan-African online freelance marketplace plugging Africa talent into the global workforce.
The Marking App (South Africa): The Marking App provides a data free application that automatically marks handwritten school assessments while also automating school administration.
truQ (Nigeria): truQ is a tech-enabled logistics platform automating and optimizing short haul (or intracity) logistics for automated retail distribution companies in Africa

Posted by Folarin Aiyegbusi, Head of Startup Ecosystem, Africa

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Source: Official Google Africa Blog

#LookMeUp: Supporting Africa women entrepreneurs during International Women’s Month

Africa is a hotbed of female entrepreneurship. Women make up 58% of small and medium-sized business (SMB) entrepreneurs on the continent. Despite those high rates of entrepreneurship, women-run businesses have, on average, 34% lower profits than those run by their male counterparts. They’re also less likely to receive funding and investment, to say nothing of the digital gender divide in access to internet connectivity, and a lack of financial security.

Just as closing the gender pay gap among the labour force leads to economic growth, so can closing the gap among entrepreneurs. As Africa looks to recover from the economic effects of COVID-19, fostering and supporting women entrepreneurs will thus be more important than ever.

Google has long been a supporter of women's entrepreneurship in Africa, and this is still a priority for us. As part of our celebration of International Women's Month in March, today we're launching an integrated campaign called #LookMeUp to spotlight and celebrate female entrepreneurs through their stories.

From founding a publishing company to providing a space to showcase culture to providing virtual mental health care during the Ebola outbreak, these women have inspired thousands through their work. Their circumstances and contexts might differ, but they all share a common tenacity and spirit.

Overcoming obstacles

For many women in Africa, the lack of financial stability is one of the biggest roadblocks to starting and sustaining a successful business. A 2021 research from the World Bank shows that only 3% of African VC funding has gone to all-female teams since 2013. That’s despite the fact that all-female teams make up 11% of the firms studied. One reason for this is that many small and medium-sized businesses lack the necessary skills to adequately pitch their businesses for financing or to discover potential sources of financial help. Recognising this, we have made skills development a major part of the #LookMeUp campaign through our Google Hustle Academy bootcamp series.

Throughout March, Hustle Academy will feature a women-only cohort to support women-owned small businesses grow by increasing revenue, positioning for investment, and building a sustainable business for the future. We will also be introducing new Primer mini-courses for women-led small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs).

Both of these initiatives are in addition to our ongoing efforts towards improving skills development for African female entrepreneurs.

In addition to skills development, we will also be helping to improve the visibility of women-led African businesses through the #LookMeUp campaign. As part of this, we will be launching a drive for women to register their businesses on Google Business Profile. With consumers now also able to specifically search for women-led businesses around them, using the women-led attribute (for example, “women-led restaurants near me”), these businesses should be in a better place than ever when it comes to being found.

Waking up major potential
#LookMeUp is Google's latest initiative to support female entrepreneurs in Africa. Economic development and job creation are crucial, but so is decreasing gender disparity. Every piece of assistance we provide women-owned businesses builds on the previous one, and we will keep doing our bit to help women get equitable access to entrepreneurial opportunities.

Posted by Mojolaoluwa Aderemi-Makinde, Regional Head Brand and Reputation, Africa - Google

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Source: Official Google Africa Blog

Seeking news innovators in Middle East, Turkey & Africa

From Kenya to Lebanon, innovation lies at the heart of the many news organizations across the Middle East, Turkey and Africa where we are today inviting applications for the Innovation Challenges program.

As part of our ongoing commitment to support the news industry around the world, we are launching our third Google News Initiative Innovation Challenge in the region. Funding up to $150,000 is available via this open call for any digital innovative project and all news providers are eligible, regardless of size.

The program has been running in the region since 2019 and the first two rounds saw 43 projects selected from 18 countries. Those recipients answered a call for projects which would increase reader engagement and/or explore new business models. The ideas ranged from novel membership strategies to Arabic language search tools.

Successful past recipients include those featured in the videos on this blogpost as well as:

Eco-Nai+ from Ripples in Nigeria is the first digital geojournalism platform for the country. Geojournalism is a form of data journalism which takes information from users, authoritative sources such as Google Earth, meteorological agencies and others, to cover issues tied to the question of climate change.
Diaspora par TelQuel from TelQuel Digital in Morocco is a diaspora subscription platform for Morrocans of the world, publishing original content, practical guides, and history articles for audiences viewing abroad: mainly France (35%), Canada (9%) and Belgium (8%).
My Town, My News from ynet in Israel is a newsroom tool which helps journalists create multiple hyperlocal stories individualized to specific locations across the country to provide statistical information such as COVID-19 rates or vaccination figures.

You can find out more about all the previous recipients on the website.

How to apply
Applications are open from now until Tuesday, April 5 2022. Established publishers, online-only players, news startups, publisher consortia, freelancers, press agencies, broadcasters and local industry associations are all eligible to apply.

Projects will be evaluated against five criteria: innovation, impact on news ecosystem, diversity, equity and inclusion; inspiration; and feasibility. The range of projects could be varied — we are intentionally not being prescriptive and instead welcome your boldest ideas. This could be anything from using Artificial Intelligence in the newsroom to diversifying your business model or figuring out ways to increase audience engagement or even reach new audiences. Whatever it is, we want to hear your sharpest solutions to the challenges faced on the ground.

The selected projects will be eligible to receive up to $150,000, not to exceed 70% of the total project cost. Please note that Google does not take any equity or intellectual property rights in any projects or submissions.

Applications must be made online via our website and are open until Tuesday, April 5 2022 at 23:59 GMT. As part of the application process, applicants are required to produce an explanatory slidedeck (please note the link opens a page to make your own copy to work in). We will also be holding an online town hall on Tuesday, March 8 at 10am GMT with a live presentation and the opportunity to ask questions.

We are looking forward to seeing fresh ideas come out of the Middle East, Turkey and Africa, a region rich with talent, potential and opportunity. For more information about the challenge, visit g.co/newsinnovation.

Posted by Sarah Hartley, Program Manager, Google News Initiative Innovation Challenges

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Source: Official Google Africa Blog

African developers: creating opportunities and building for the future

Every day, African businesses harness ingenuity to empower their communities. African software developers are an engine for digital transformation in local economies across the continent, and there’s no one better to solve challenges than local developers, founders, and entrepreneurs. And as African startup funding reaches unprecedented levels (growing by over 2.5x in 2021 over the previous year), understanding Africa’s developer landscape is key to support the growth of these startups.

For the second year in a row, Google published the Africa Developer Ecosystem report to map Africa’s developer landscape. We expanded this edition of the report to include year-on-year growth analysis, tech ecosystem components and key growth factors. The research was conducted in 16 African markets (Algeria, Cameroon, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Morocco, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, Tunisia, Uganda) and the findings were extrapolated to the rest of the continent.

Here are the five key takeaways from our study:

1. Africa’s developer population is growing across the continent.
We found that COVID-19 has continued to shape both the tech community at large and the nuances of the developer experience. Despite a contracting economy, the pool of professional developers increased by 3.8% to make up 0.4% of the continent’s non-agricultural workforce. Salaries and compensation also rose, and more developers secured full-time jobs.

2. VC investment in African startups rebounded as the digital economy expanded.
As local businesses transitioned online across the continent, they boosted the need for web development and data engineering skills. African startups raised over $4bn in 2021, 2.5x times more than in 2020, with fintech startups making up over half of this funding. The shift to remote work also created more employment opportunities across time zones and continents for African developers while lifting the pay for senior talent. As a result, international companies are now recruiting African developers at record rates.

3. Learners, junior developers, as well as underrepresented groups including women, need more support.
These groups faced challenges exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Without access to in-person education — or affordable, reliable internet access and at-home equipment — they struggled to make gains last year. This can be seen in how the gender gap between men developers and women developers widened: there are 2.5% fewer women developers in the workforce than there were in 2020.

4. Educators, technology companies and governments are undertaking initiatives to strengthen the developer pipeline.
Educators, tech companies and governments can help developers succeed by improving internet access, education and business support. Bootcamps and certifications, run as part of formal and informal education, are working to bridge the vocational training gap between traditional education and employment moving forward. Global technology companies are investing in digital skill building across the continent to improve job readiness and alleviate the tech talent bottleneck. Governments can also play a vital role in strengthening the developer pipeline by investing in both internet access and education.

5. Nigeria is a striking example of the symbiotic relationship between digital transformation and developer growth in Africa.
The developer ecosystem in Nigeria is thriving, thanks to strong demand for developer talent, significant support from big tech, and Nigerian startups raising the largest total amount of funding on the continent in 2021. Nigeria had the highest number of new developers of all countries surveyed, with 5,000 additional developers joining Nigeria's developer population in 2021. As countries like Nigeria continue to transform, they will unlock more opportunities for developers, who in turn, grow the economy.

To support the continued growth of Africa’s developers, technology companies, educators and governments are tackling local challenges through innovative partnerships and programs. Google is committed to supporting developers at each stage of their journey through regional developer training, community, and mentorship programs, including Google Developer Groups, Google Developer Student Clubs, Women Techmakers and Google Developer Experts.

Nitin Gajria, Managing Director, Google Sub-Saharan Africa

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Source: Official Google Africa Blog

African developers: creating opportunities and building for the future

Nitin Gajria, Managing Director, Google Sub-Saharan Africa

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Source: Official Google Africa Blog

Meet the African #YouTubeBlackVoices Creator Class of 2022

Posted by Alex Okosi, Managing, EMEA Emerging Markets, YouTube

It would be hard to pinpoint another time in recent history during which Africanness held the currency it holds in 2022. Thanks, in part, to global Internet platforms like YouTube, the 2000s have ushered in an era of a rising pan-African identity in the arts – especially in music and dance culture.

Over the past few years, we’ve seen cultural waves jump from the shores of our continent to touch down in locations we could never have previously imagined. But that’s not the end of the story – at least that’s not how we, at YouTube, would have it.

It’s with great excitement that we announce, following the success of the inaugural #YouTubeBlack Voices creator Class of 2021, that creators from 26 channels in Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa will be representing the continent among a cohort of 133 other creators from around the world.

Nigeria

Behind Data Pepple is Data, a 23 year old law school graduate with an intense passion for animation. She describes her art style as “super girly and cute, but with a hint of adult, reconciling my childhood obsessions of Bratz & Barbie with who I am as an adult today.” Data says to depict the female body a lot in cartoon form, embracing the many curves and bumps and “expressing the duality of my femininity, being delicate and soft, but also sexy and silly.”

Defining Media

South Africa

Ummeeta

Nigeria

Halima Yusuf Rabiu runs lifestyle channel Ummeeta Rabiu. She’s a 25-year-old chef who runs a cafe in Abuja while studying law and looking after her kid. Halima loves decorating spaces, reading and practising yoga.

Xukununu_Bold

South Africa

Xukununu Ntsetselelo Makaela is a content creator, born and raised in Makhuva village, Giyani-Limpopo. She focuses her content around beauty, lifestyle and fashion and takes it upon herself to share and document all necessary information about her journey especially her acne skin progress, self care, and her life in general.