South African tech academy WeThinkCode has been given a $2 million grant from Google.org, which will enable it to expand its artificial intelligence (AI) training programs.
The funding will help the company to train 12,000 learners in South Africa and Kenya with critical AI skills for the rapidly evolving job market.
WeThinkCode is a nonprofit organization and its tuition-free, aptitude-based training model provides access to high-quality tech education for individuals traditionally underrepresented in the sector.
Africa faces a significant digital skills gap and, as AI adoption grows, so does the need for advanced AI skills.
WeThinkCode aims to bridge this gap by training unemployed youth from low-income backgrounds to become work-ready software engineers.
The Academy was established in 2015 and began training its first cohort of students in 2016 in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Since then, it has extended its footprint to Cape Town (2018) and Durban (2021), and is now also delivering curriculum at public technical vocational education and training (TVET) colleges in South Africa.
The Google.org grant will help the company expand its training into Kenya.
AI literacy key for Africa
WeThinkCode said that, with AI poised to transform industries globally, AI skills training ensures that African youth are at the forefront of this digital revolution.
"We are thrilled that Google.org is supporting efforts in advancing AI literacy in Africa," said Nyari Samushonga, CEO of WeThinkCode, in a statement.
"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," Samushonga added.'
WeThinkCode plans to train 12,000 learners in South Africa and Kenya with critical AI skills for the rapidly evolving job market. (Source: WeThinkCode)
The program will offer a free, extracurricular course, ranging from 40 to 80 hours, designed to upskill participants in both technical and non-technical roles.
The training will be delivered through two 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.
The program will upskill individuals from low-income households and those in peri-urban and rural areas, fostering wider adoption of AI across the continent. WeThinkCode will also enhance its Learning Management System (LMS) to support both remote and in-person training, with local language adaptations.
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Haviva Kohl, senior program manager at Google.org, called AI a "transformative technology" and said the funding will 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.
The program will also leverage existing partnerships with companies across financial services, telecommunications, and tech consulting to showcase participants' newly acquired AI capabilities in order to improve their employment prospects.
The program is set to run through 2026, according to WeThinkCode.
