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The Digital Opportunity
of
Sub-Saharan Africa
Executive Summary
The next decade is set to be Sub-Saharan Africa’s digital decade. For the first time, over half the population in Sub-Saharan Africa will have access to the Internet, while emerging technologies like artificial intelligence and the cloud could significantly accelerate the continent’s development.
Google’s mission to organise the world’s information, making it universally accessible and useful, is therefore particularly relevant to the Sub-Saharan region. To ensure economic and societal growth, it’s vital that everyone is given the opportunity to harness the benefits of technology.
That is why Google has made a $1 billion commitment to Africa. According to new modelling by Public First, every $1 invested in digital technology in sub-Saharan Africa will create over $2 in wider economic value for the region by 2030. Google aims to further unlock the digital economy through its investments, initiatives and product innovations.
To understand the scale of this opportunity, Google commissioned Public First to explore:
Google’s Impact in Sub-Saharan Africa
Including the economic and social impact of Google’s products and services on individuals, workers, and businesses across the region.
Sub-Saharan Africa’s Digital Transformation
With an emphasis on the importance of investment in connectivity, cloud computing and artificial intelligence.
Our findings show that, with strategic interventions and supportive policies, the region can leverage its young population, vibrant culture, and entrepreneurial spirit to become a leader in the global digital landscape.
Key Findings
Technology has the potential to deliver significant economic prosperity to Sub-Saharan Africa.
x
0
We estimate that every $1 invested in digital technology will return over $2 for the region’s wider economy by 2030.
$
0
bn
In 2021, Google announced $1 billion of investment in Africa to support a range of priorities, from improved connectivity to investment in startups over a five year period.
Google also supports the day-to-day lives of individuals, communities & businesses in the region.
Increased productivity indicates greater output from the same amount of input. It means higher efficiency with which a company or economy can transform resources into goods.
Online adults in Sub-Saharan Africa identified Google Search as the most helpful innovation of the last few decades.1
Google Search and Google Workspace help knowledge workers save over 100 million hours a week, equivalent to an $11 billion improvement in productivity
9 in 10 YouTube Creators agree that YouTube has given them a platform to share their creativity and culture with others – whilst also monetising their content.
This all contributes to Sub-Saharan Africa’s digital potential.
Using Public First’s internet connectivity index, we estimate that a 1% increase in connectivity is associated with a 5.7% increase in GDP.2
A majority of Sub-Saharan Africans access the internet through a mobile device powered by Android.
Foreword
In 2021, Google committed to invest $1 billion in Africa to support the continent’s digital transformation. This investment focused on enabling fast, affordable internet access for more Africans, building helpful products; supporting entrepreneurship and small business, and helping nonprofits to improve lives across Africa.
Three years on, we have made significant investments in the region and will deliver our commitments by 2026. We commissioned this independent report by Public First to contextualise the scale of opportunity in Sub-Saharan Africa, and to evaluate the impact of Google’s investments and innovations across the region.
This research reaffirms the importance of our investments. Public First found that every $1 invested in digital technology in the region will generate over $2 in economic value by 2030, with an even greater return in front runner nations.
Google opened its first Sub-Saharan Africa office in Nairobi in 2007, and we’ve since enabled hundreds of millions of Africans to access the internet for the first time – as well as empowering millions of businesses and creators with digital tools. Alongside our direct investments, Public First estimates that Google’s tools and services grew the region’s economy by an estimated $16 billion in 2023.
And there is still significant opportunity to be unlocked.
In May 2024, we announced a new fibre optic cable route from Kenya to Australia – Umoja – which will join Equiano and the Johannesburg Google Cloud region to form Africa Connect and will enhance internet access, making it faster, more reliable, and more affordable. These infrastructure investments are crucial for bridging the digital divide and ensuring that everyone, regardless of their location, can benefit from the digital revolution.
Our AI Research Centers in Accra and Nairobi, as well as the Product Development Center in Nairobi, continue to build products and services that tackle challenges across the continent and the world.
Technology’s power is in the benefits it brings to people and communities. The stories in this report reflect the profound ways it can improve lives. From entrepreneurs using Google Workspace to build their businesses to students leveraging Google Search for their studies, these individuals inspire us to continue pursuing our mission of driving digital transformation in the continent.
Alex Okosi
MD, Google Africa
About This Research
In this paper, we used a range of different methods to quantify the economic impact and helpfulness of Google’s products and services.
Economic Modelling
Building on the precedent of previous Google impact reports from markets including the UK, the United States, and Europe, we used traditional economic modelling built upon third-party estimates of Google market size across Sub-Saharan Africa, and standard returns on investment (ROI) to measure the economic activity driven by Google’s core products. To learn more about our modelling approach, please see the Methodology section in the report’s appendix.
Opinion Polling
Working with independent providers Dynata, we conducted extensive online polling of 7958 online adults across Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, South Africa, Tanzania, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Mozambique, Angola, Zimbabwe and Senegal. At the same time, we polled 1752 senior business leaders from small, medium and large online businesses, representing a range of different industries. We also conducted an online survey of 1732 YouTube Creators based in Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa. Public First is a member of the Market Research Society. The full tables for all the data used in this report are available to download from our website.
While Google commissioned this report, all information in this report is derived or estimated by Public First analysis using both non-Google proprietary and publicly available information. Google has not supplied any additional data, nor does it endorse any estimates made in the report. Where information has been obtained from third party sources and proprietary research, this is clearly referenced in the footnotes.
Introduction
Google’s Commitment
to Sub-Saharan Africa
Google’s products are helping to offer the necessary foundations to Africa’s digital revolution. By prioritising affordable access for every kind of African user, Google has already enabled hundreds of millions of Africans to connect to the internet for the first time and provided millions of businesses and creators with digital tools.3
Google continues to make significant commitments to Africa’s future potential. In 2021, Chief Executive Sundar Pichai announced that Google would invest a further $1 billion in Africa over a five year period to support a range of priorities, from improved connectivity to investment in startups.4
This includes:
Establishing the First Google Cloud Region in Africa
A new Google Cloud region in South Africa will help local businesses innovate and grow. Google is also expanding its network infrastructure through the Equiano subsea cable and Dedicated Cloud Interconnect sites in Johannesburg, Cape Town, Lagos, and Nairobi.
Supporting African Entrepreneurs
Initiatives like the Black Founders Fund, Hustle Academy, and Google Business Profiles aim to support African entrepreneurs, small businesses, and job seekers through funding, training, and skill development programmes.
Building More Helpful Products for Africa
Google has opened its African product development centre in Nairobi, focusing on creating products and services tailored to the needs of African users, as well as its AI lab in Accra and Nairobi.
Beyond their direct investments, Google’s products and services are already helping to power the growth of Africa’s digital economy:
Google Search and Ads help African companies connect with new customers, both locally and globally.
Google’s platforms, including YouTube and the Play store, offer ways for African businesses to digitally distribute their services, as well as for content creators and developers to share their ideas with the world.
Google’s tools, such as Workspace, Cloud and Gemini, help increase the productivity of African companies and workers.
Translating Google’s impact into economic terms, we estimate that Google Search, Google Play, YouTube, Google Cloud and Google advertising tools have delivered $16 billion of additional economic activity for Sub-Saharan businesses, nonprofits, publishers, creators, and developers in 2023.
In other words, through using Google’s tools, businesses, nonprofits, publishers, creators, and developers in the region were able to grow, thrive, and create employment opportunities worth an additional $16 billion in a single year. That’s equivalent to growing the revenue of over 1 million small and medium businesses in the region.
Putting Google’s $16 billion impact into context:
What is economic activity?
Economic activity refers to the actions that involve the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services.
- Production: Creating goods and services. This includes manufacturing, farming, mining, and other industries that produce tangible products, as well as services like healthcare, education, and entertainment.
- Distribution: Moving goods and services from producers to consumers. This includes transportation, logistics, marketing, and retailing.
- Consumption: The use of goods and services by consumers and businesses. This drives demand, which in turn stimulates further production and distribution.
Economic activity can be measured in various ways, such as Gross Domestic Product (GDP), employment rates, and business revenues. It reflects the overall health and dynamism of an economy.
Google’s Products & Services
Gemini
Google’s most capable AI technology that supports an entire ecosystem – from the products that billions of people use every day, to the APIs and platforms helping developers and businesses to innovate.
Maps
Comprehensive navigation services, offering real-time traffic updates, directions, business information, and street-level imagery to help users explore the world.
Youtube
A video-sharing platform where users can upload, watch, and interact with videos, ranging from entertainment and music to educational content and vlogs.
Photos
A photo storage and sharing service that offers unlimited cloud storage for photos and videos, along with powerful editing tools and automatic organisation features.
Gmail
A free email service that provides users with a secure, efficient, and user-friendly platform for keeping in touch with others.
Workspace
A suite of cloud-based productivity and collaboration tools, including Gmail, Docs, Drive, Calendar, and Meet, designed to enhance teamwork and streamline business operations.
Translate
A translation service that supports over 100 languages, allowing users to effortlessly translate text, speech, images, and web pages.
Android
An open source operating system for mobile devices, offering a customizable and user-friendly interface, a vast ecosystem of apps, and seamless integration with Google services.
Ads
An online advertising platform that allows small and large businesses to reach targeted audiences and drive measurable results through play-per-click campaigns.
Google Cloud
A suite of cloud computing services, including data storage, machine learning, and computing power, enabling businesses to innovate and scale efficiently.
Google’s Wider Impact
in Sub-Saharan Africa
Building More Helpful Products
Since its official founding in 1998, Google has sought to organise the world’s information and make it useful in increasingly innovative ways. Online adults in Sub-Saharan Africa identified Google Search, Google Workspace, YouTube and Google Maps as being among the ten most helpful innovations of the last few decades.
When it comes to learning, Google Search is an invaluable tool for many people. Whether it’s looking up a fact, comparing prices, troubleshooting technical issues, following the news, or doing basic calculations, Google Search caters to the diverse needs of users.
of online adults strongly agreed that Google Search is essential to their daily lives
of online adults strongly agreed that Google Search is helpful
of online adults strongly agreed that Google Search is easy to use
Google Search’s Consumer Surplus
One way to quantify the total value created by Google Search is through a measure used by economists known as the consumer surplus.
The consumer surplus of products that are offered for free looks at how much a product is worth to a user and how much you would have to compensate them to go without it.
In 2023, our central estimate is that Google Search alone creates a consumer surplus for the average online adult in Sub-Saharan Africa worth $22.50 a month, or almost $270 a year.
When it comes to travelling efficiently, mobile applications like Google Maps make navigation much easier – with Google Street View now available in 11 African countries, and 300,000 more kilometres of imagery newly added across Kenya, South Africa, Senegal and Nigeria.
of online adults reported using Google Maps to avoid getting lost
of online adults reported using Google Maps to avoid traffic congestion or public transport delays
When it comes to communicating with others, Google Translate helps to traverse the region’s diverse linguistic landscapes. As of June 2024, Google Translate now uses AI to support more African languages than ever before, including Fon, Kikongo, Luo, Ga, Swati, Venda and Wolof.
Mapping Buildings
Even with satellite imagery, mapping buildings in crowded or remote areas can be challenging. This in turn can complicate infrastructure planning. To address this, Google’s Open Buildings dataset project, developed by a team at the Accra research centre, utilises AI combined with satellite imagery to accurately identify building locations. This tool aids governments and nonprofits in understanding resident needs and providing assistance.
In Uganda, the nonprofit Sunbird AI collaborates with the Ministry of Energy in Lamwo district, using this dataset to assess villages’ electrification requirements. This information helps prioritise areas for electricity access.
Forecasting Floods
Google’s Flood Forecasting Hub uses AI to predict riverine floods across 26 countries in Africa. This includes forecasts delivered by the Flood Hub platform, up to seven days in advance of the event, featuring detailed inundation maps that indicate expected water levels in various areas. Early warning systems can then greatly enhance preparedness and evacuation efforts.
Kenya is recently faced some of its worst flooding disasters in March 2024, with catastrophic floods and mudslides causing significant devastation. The Flood Hub platform was instrumental in tracking river discharge levels in critical areas like the Tana, Mutonga, and Sagana rivers, providing essential data for managing this crisis.
Ensuring Young People Succeed
Sub-Saharan Africa has the world’s youngest population, with over 60% of its inhabitants under the age of 25.5
Education is crucial for young people in Sub-Saharan Africa, helping to break the cycle of poverty, access better job opportunities, and contribute to economic development. Many of the young adults (18-24) in our polling already reported using Google’s tools to help with their career development.
0
%
of young online adults said they had used Google Search in the last year to look for a new job
0
%
of young online adults said they had used Google Search to help with studying
0
%
of young online adults strongly agreed that their education would have been more difficult without Google Search
More specifically, young people in Sub-Saharan Africa are eager to participate in the digital economy. An overwhelming 96% of online young adults agreed that digital skills will be important to their future career.
Many have therefore turned to Google Search to help them acquire technical know-how. According to our research, over 6.5 million young adults aged 18 – 24 have learned new digital skills through Google Search in 2023. As people become more skilled, they are able to work more efficiently – creating a $7.8 billion improvement in productivity for the region.
Meanwhile, more than 36,000 people in Sub-Saharan Africa have graduated from a Google Career Certificate Programme, with 80% of certificate graduates reporting a positive career outcome within 6 months of completion.
When asked about the possible opportunities presented by technology, young people said:
It could lessen unemployment in the country especially among young people.
Man, 19, South Africa
Providing skills and knowledge for our generation, to help create more job opportunities that'll curb unemployment.
Woman, 20, Kenya
The advancement of technology will boost the confidence of the youth in my country to engage themselves in IT and AI.
Woman, 21, Ghana
Technology has given the youths a more productive and fair environment to be able to fight unemployment.
Man, 22, Nigeria
The need for students to carry a lot of books in their backpack will no longer be necessary.
Woman, 21, Kenya
Africa to Silicon Valley
Google’s partnership with Africa to Silicon Valley (A2SV) is making a difference in Africa by developing local tech talent. Now in its third year, this collaboration has trained over 250 students since 2019, with a 100% job placement rate for graduates at major tech companies like Google, Amazon, and Microsoft. The programme’s success has led to its expansion across Africa, including the founding of an A2SV Chapter at Addis Ababa University.
By offering comprehensive training in technical and soft skills, this initiative is creating high-paying tech jobs for young people in Africa, increasing African representation in global tech, and fostering local innovation. Google’s support through funding, mentorship, and resources is crucial in growing A2SV’s impact, contributing to Africa’s tech ecosystem as an emerging hub for talent in the global digital economy.
Empowering Entrepreneurs
Sub-Saharan Africa’s economy is powered by a fierce entrepreneurial spirit. From individual hustlers through to dynamic new startups, citizens engage in multiple ventures to generate income, drive innovation, and improve their livelihoods.
A very high proportion of adults in Sub-Saharan Africa identify as entrepreneurs, underscoring the importance of the informal economy in the region. According to our research:
of online adults would describe themselves as an entrepreneur
of online adults say they work as an entrepreneur full time
of online adults say they they are pursuing their own business as a “side hustle”
These entrepreneurs already rely on Google’s accessible suite of tools and services to achieve their business ambitions. Of the participants in our research who identified as entrepreneurs, 85% reported using Google Workspace to organise their business operations.
Google’s tools are no less important for start-ups. According to our business polling, 67% of businesses less than five years old agreed that the costs of starting a business have reduced substantially because of internet tools such as Google Search, Gmail, Google Docs, Google Workspace, or Google Business Profile.
Africa has seen the rise of seven tech unicorns, three of which are currently active in Nigeria and the majority of which are fintech companies. To see this success grow further, Google is taking significant steps to champion ambitious young people across the region, helping them to overcome the challenges associated with starting a new business.
- Google for Startup’s Black Founders Fund has supported 135 entrepreneurs in Sub Saharan Africa since 2021, with over $10 million of non-equity funding.
- Google for Startups Accelerator Africa has mentored and graduated 120 companies in the last five years and in 2023, Google launched a specific AI First Accelerator Programme.
- Google Startups for Sustainable Development programme has supported entrepreneurs from over 100+ startups across 20 African countries.
10,300 SMBs from across Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa have graduated from Google’s Hustle Academy bootcamp since 2022.
Black Founders Fund
EzyAgric, Uganda
EzyAgric is a one stop centre that enables farmers and agribusinesses to efficiently access genuine agricultural production, marketing and financial services. Users can buy pesticides and seeds through the Afrishop, and track farm records and income from their smartphone. To date, they have served over 100,000 farmers.
The business recently benefited from Google’s Black Founders Fund. This initiative supports businesses with at least one Black founder, seeking to raise a round of funding to develop their next stage of growth. In addition to equity-free cash awards, Black Founders Fund recipients receive ongoing Google mentorship, Google Cloud credits, and product support to help them navigate every stage of their startup journey.
Google For Startups Accelerator
AfriWell Health, Congo
AfriWell Health connects patients in Congo with healthcare professionals around the globe in a quick and efficient way. The business believes in empowering Africans by giving them the tools to choose their healthcare providers based on their own needs, and not limited by local availability or time constraints.
The organisation is an alumni of the Google for Startups Accelerator Africa, which focuses on supporting growth-stage startups solving problems using advanced technology. Over a 10-week period, Seed to Series A startups based in Africa are paired with relevant Google and industry experts to solve their startup’s top challenges, and supported to improve their product and business.
Google for Startups Accelerator Africa accepts applications from startups in Algeria, Botswana, Cameroon, Côte D’ivoire, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, Tunisia, Uganda, and Zimbabwe.
The Hustle Academy
Pippy Leather Works, Kenya
Pippy Leather Works is a small enterprise based in Nairobi, Kenya. Specialising in crafting high-quality leather goods and primarily employing local women, the business initially struggled to expand its reach and improve operational efficiency. However, business operations were transformed in 2022 after its founder, Milka Adhiambo, attended the Google Hustle Academy.
The Hustle Academy is a free, 5-day virtual bootcamp for small businesses in Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa, focusing on building future-proof business success. This initiative offers tailored training including business strategy, digital marketing, and financial planning, directly addressing the areas where SMBs most commonly encounter challenges.
Milka was able to apply everything she learnt to her business. Pippy Leather Works now enjoys a robust online presence, has doubled its revenue and expanded its team.
Connecting Businesses With Customers
Google’s products drive the competitiveness of companies in Sub-Saharan Africa, connecting businesses to clients through the internet. This is particularly powerful as increasing numbers of African customers across different countries and sectors get online.
In our consumer poll, we saw that online adults were regularly using Google’s tools, such as Search or Maps, to find local businesses and compare prices.
0
%
of online adults said they had used Google Search or Shopping in the last month to compare the prices of products or services
0
%
of online adults said they had used Google Maps in the last month to find a local business
Similarly, in our business poll, online companies widely reported that online search, online maps and paid search advertising were among the most effective ways that they connected with customers. On average, companies reported that around 10-20% of their new customers find them through Google Search.
Which, if any, of the following are the most effective ways your business connects with customers? Select all that apply.
Because Google is used by people around the world, these connections don’t just have to be local. 77% of businesses in our survey agreed that online search engines have made it easier for global customers to find their business. In total, we estimate that Google Search and Ads are supporting over $5 billion in exports across Sub-Saharan Africa a year.
Boosting Productivity
At work, Google’s tools like Workspace, Search, Cloud and Gemini help workers collaborate better, learn new information or skills, and analyse data.
For knowledge workers, these services are often some of the most important productivity tools they use. In total, we estimate that Google Search and Workspace are saving workers over 100 million hours a week, the equivalent of an $11 billion productivity improvement a year.
of online adults strongly agreed that Google helps them to be more productive at work
of online adults strongly agreed that their job would be very difficult or impossible if they did not have access to Google Workspace
of online businesses strongly agreed that Google’s tools and services have helped accelerate the growth of their business
In February 2024, Google launched its new paid Gemini model. Over the next few years, Gemini is expected to continue building capabilities to help workers keep on top of their emails, draft documents, query their company’s existing data and do new analysis. In our business poll, over half of online African companies told us they expected to use AI to help them automate administrative tasks in the next few years.
Championing the Creator Economy
African creators are going from strength to strength on YouTube. The platform democratises creativity, allowing anyone with a smartphone to experiment with content creation, grow their audience, and monetize their ideas.
Leading the way are Nigeria’s Mark Angel, who boasts over 9 million subscribers on his @MarkAngelComedy account, closely followed by South Africa’s Tevin Musara, also known as @Superherointraining.
We polled Creators from Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa to better understand their experiences sharing content on YouTube. Overall, 87% of those surveyed agreed that YouTube had given them a platform they wouldn’t have otherwise had, allowing them to share their ideas with more people than ever before.
0
%
of Creators surveyed agreed that YouTube allows them to be creative
0
%
of Creators surveyed agreed that YouTube makes it easier to communicate to the world
0
%
of Creators surveyed started their YouTube channel to inspire others
YouTube is a particularly important vehicle for exporting African culture around the globe. Of those that participated in our research, 74% had started their YouTube channel so that they could showcase their culture. Indeed, 35% – over a third – estimate that a majority of their viewers are outside of Africa.
Thato Rampedi - South Africa
“I proudly share my African heritage on YouTube by weaving together the vibrant threads of community, family, friendships, and knowledge sharing. Through my content, I pass down the wisdom and insights I’ve gained from the platform, while also highlighting the rich talents of South African musicians through the music I feature. In my lifestyle content and vlogs, I share personal stories of my experiences as an African, offering a glimpse into my daily life and the beauty of African culture.
By sharing my heritage in this way, I aim to celebrate the diversity and richness of African culture, while also inspiring others to embrace and share their own cultural roots. Through my content, I hope to build a sense of community and connection among Africans and non-Africans alike, fostering a deeper understanding and appreciation of our vibrant continent.”
This growing reach enables African Creators to make money doing what they love. The more people that watch, the more channels are able to drive revenue from their content though advertising, the YouTube Shorts fund or brand deals.
0
%
of Creators surveyed agreed that YouTube has helped them to monetise their hobby or passion.
0
%
of Creators surveyed agreed that YouTube has helped them to pursue their entrepreneurial ambitions
0
%
of Creators surveyed have successfully monetised the content they upload to their YouTube channel
For many, YouTube has therefore become central to their career. Just under half (43%) of those that participated in our research identify as full-time, professional Creators, and a quarter (24%) of the Creators we spoke to employ additional staff to help run their YouTube channel.
These individuals show no signs of slowing down. Over a third (38%) of those that responded to our survey have already experimented with AI tools to support their creative process. More broadly, Creators expressed an interest in using AI for translation, higher production values and idea generation.
Supporting Developer Talent
Sub-Saharan Africa has a young and growing developer population, with over 500,000 professional developers across the region, and over 50,000 in each of South Africa, Nigeria and Kenya.6 In some cases, these individuals are behind the continent’s leading tech startups, such as Flutterwave’s Iyinoluwa Aboyeji or Chipper’s Ham Serunjogi.
Many of these developers in turn create apps and services that are distributed through Google’s mobile platform. Android, a free and open mobile operating system developed by Google, enables local developers to reach a broad audience, rather than having to continue to develop new versions of their applications for different devices. In total, we estimate that Android has saved developers in Sub-Saharan Africa over 1.5 million days, letting them focus on building new features rather than unnecessary porting.
At the same time, Google’s Play Store makes it easy to distribute apps globally, reaching a worldwide audience of 2.5 billion users, who in turn make over 140 billion downloads a year.7 In total, we estimate the Android App Economy generated over $700 million in revenue for developers in Sub-Saharan Africa in 2023, while the Android developer ecosystem is supporting over 150,000 jobs across the region.
Google is also helping these individuals to grow their skillsets. 94,000 people in Africa have trained through Google’s programmes such as Google Developer Groups, Google Developer Experts and Grow with Google Developer programmes between 2020-2023.
Google Developer Groups
BallTalent, South Africa
Google Developer Groups are open to anyone who is interested in learning about Google’s technologies, connecting with other developers, and growing their skillset. Participants are able to learn about a range of technical topics through hands-on workshops, training, hackathons, events, talks and meetups. There are over 150 active chapters across Sub-Saharan Africa.
In South Africa, friends Lesego Ndlovu and Simon Mokgotlhoa learnt how to code with support from Google Developer Group events in Johannesburg. With their new skills, they built BallTalent, an app that helps local soccer players get discovered by professional soccer clubs. The pair have since launched a Google Developer Group of their own in Soweto, the biggest township in South Africa.
“We watched videos on the Chrome Developers YouTube channel and learned HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, but we didn’t know how to make an app, deliver a product, or start a business. […] We learned about the code as the business grew. It’s been a great journey.”
Sub-Saharan Africa’s
Digital Transformation
Investing in Digital
In the next few years, Sub-Saharan Africa is set to pass an important milestone: for the first time, more than half the population will be online.8
Internet Adoption in Sub-Saharan Africa
Today, internet adoption across Sub-Saharan Africa is comparable to adoption levels in the US at the turn of the millennium. In the same way that the early 2000s saw an Internet boom in America, powering new services and companies, the next decade could see Africa’s real digital awakening.
Internet adoption, in turn, has a significant spillover impact on growth: both increasing the productivity of companies that already exist, and supporting the creation of entirely new sectors. Over the last five years, we have seen the revenue of key Internet markets in Africa including cloud, digital advertising and e-commerce more than double. By 2025, Google-commissioned research from Accenture estimates that the share of GDP supported by the Internet could increase to over 5%.9
In our polling for this report, Africans recognised the potential from digital technology. Two-thirds (65%) of online adults in Sub-Saharan Africa were optimistic about the impact technology will have in the next ten years, compared to only 14% who were pessimistic – and 66% strongly agreed that technology is one of the most important ways their country’s economy can grow faster.
As connectivity improves and digital literacy spreads, the region is poised to unleash unprecedented innovation across all sectors. From Kenya’s “Silicon Savannah” and South Africa’s “Silicon Cape”, to Lagos’ “Sabacon Valley”, these nations are bolstered by a young, tech-savvy population. In some areas, such as mobile payments, Africa has already seen leapfrogging technological adoption – and in the next few years, the continent could be at the forefront of trends such as telemedicine, secure payments, e-learning, and smart agriculture.
However, in order to take advantage of this opportunity, Africa will need continued investment in supporting infrastructure and boosting digital skills and literacy. The continent still struggles with issues including high levels of poverty, gender inequality and significant geographical gaps in connectivity and energy infrastructure. 69% of online adults in our poll strongly agreed that their country should invest more in digital skills and infrastructure to support new technology.
Digital technology is one of the most powerful ways for Sub-Saharan Africa to boost its economic growth, with mobile broadband, cloud and AI particularly key to unlocking success over the next decade. We estimate that every $1 invested in these technologies will return an average of over $2 for the region’s wider economy by 2030, with significantly stronger returns in digital front-runner nations such as Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa.
When asked about the possible opportunities presented by technology, young people said:
New technology will put my country's economic status on par with developed countries.
Woman, 22, Kenya
The most important benefit of new technology in my country could be significantly improving access to quality education and healthcare for all citizens.
Man, 35, Tanzania
It will equip people in my country with the necessary skills to be productive and also compete with other nations around the world.
Man, 44, Ghana
Technology will allow people in my country to hone their skills and acquire new information.
Woman, 43, Zimbabwe
By making digital tools and resources more accessible, new technology could empower young people to become entrepreneurs and innovators.
Man, 57, Cameroon
The advantages that new technologies could create are numerous, especially in medicine, education, construction, banking management and also rural development.
Man, 21, Cote D’Ivoire
The adoption of automation, robotics, and advanced manufacturing techniques will revolutionise traditional industries, making them more efficient, competitive, and sustainable.
Woman, 26, Nigeria
Peace, unity and gender equality.
Man, 22, Cameroon
Connectivity
Increasing access, reliability and speed of the Internet remains fundamental to supporting Sub-Saharan Africa’s digital transformation. In our polling, both consumers and businesses stressed the importance of faster internet. Whilst significant progress has been made across the continent, more needs to be done to ensure equitable infrastructure coverage, access and quality. Over 180 million people in Africa still live in an area that is not covered by mobile broadband.10
0
%
of online adults strongly agreed that they wanted access to faster internet speeds
0
%
of online businesses strongly agreed that fast and reliable internet is essential to their business’ day-to-day operations
Repeated studies have stressed the importance of increasing internet connectivity and adoption for supporting wider economic growth. Using Public First’s internet connectivity index, we estimate that a 1% increase in connectivity is associated with a 5.7% increase in GDP.
Submarine fibre optic cables (“subsea cables”) are among the most important components of the internet’s infrastructure. These cables provide high-capacity, low-latency data transmission, essential for international communications. Without subsea cables, the internet would be much slower and less reliable, severely limiting our ability to communicate and share information worldwide.
Google’s Africa Connect initiative seeks to boost internet speed and reliability for countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. This means faster downloads, smoother video calls, and better overall internet experiences for people and businesses – as well as lowering the cost of internet services, making them more accessible to a larger number of people.11
Equiano Subsea Cable
Connecting Africa to Europe
The Equiano subsea cable, fully funded and laid by Google, is a high-capacity internet cable running under the ocean to connect Africa to Europe. It runs along the West Coast of Africa, between Lisbon, Portugal and Cape Town, South Africa, with a branch also connecting into Lagos, Nigeria.
Named for Olaudah Equiano, a Nigerian-born writer and abolitionist who was enslaved as a boy, the Equiano cable is state-of-the-art infrastructure based on space-division multiplexing (SDM) technology, with approximately 20 times more network capacity than the last cable built to serve this region.12
Umoja Subsea Cable
Connecting Africa to Australia
To further increase the reach and reliability of digital connectivity for Africa, Google has announced Umoja – the first ever fibre optic route to directly connect Africa with Australia. Anchored in Kenya, the Umoja cable route will pass through Uganda, Rwanda, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and South Africa, before crossing the Indian Ocean to Australia.
Umoja will enable African countries to more reliably connect with each other and the rest of the world. Establishing a new route distinct from existing connectivity routes is critical to maintaining a resilient network for a region that has historically experienced high-impact outages.
Taara
Connecting Africa’s Next Billion
Taara, X’s moonshot for connectivity, extends high capacity connectivity from the subsea cables and fibre backbones further inland to expand Africa’s internet network. Using beams of light over long distances, Taara’s links deliver high-speed, low-latency connectivity.
Working with local internet service providers, Taara is delivering fast, affordable connectivity to tens of thousands of people who were previously unconnected or underserved in more than 20 communities across Kenya. Taara is now working to expand Africa’s digital infrastructure in Kenya, Ghana, Democratic Republic of Congo, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Rwanda, Malawi, Senegal, Nigeria, and South Africa.
Equally important to the underlying infrastructure, is ensuring internet access is affordable. While prices are coming down, smartphones today can still cost over 60% of the monthly income of many Africans.13
A majority of Sub-Saharan Africans access the internet through a mobile device powered by Android, representing millions of people. This includes a cohort who would have been unable to access the internet at all without the affordability driven by the Android ecosystem. By providing Android as a free and open operating system, Google makes it possible for manufacturers to produce devices at costs as low as $50. Once a consumer is online, they can then access key online services such as Search, Gmail, and YouTube free of charge.
In our polling, 67% of online adults in Sub-Saharan Africa strongly agreed that affordable smartphones and free internet services have ensured that people in their country can use the internet. We estimate that Android’s increased affordability has allowed an additional 30 million Sub-Saharan Africans to access the Internet, who would not have been otherwise able to do so.
Cloud Computing
Cloud computing services – such as those provided by Google Cloud – power today’s leading Internet services, enable new technologies such as AI, and give individual companies access to reduced costs and best-in-class security.
Previous research by both Public First14 and Deloitte15 has found that investment in public cloud services leads to an average net return of investment of over 2 to 1. The cloud enables new products, reduces IT costs, improves employee collaboration and saves time. In total, we estimate that Google Cloud saves over 200 million hours for Sub-Saharan businesses a year.
Beyond time savings, cloud services can also be significantly more energy efficient and sustainable. Google data centres use 50% less energy compared to the typical data centre, and are powered by 100% renewable energy sources such as wind and solar power. By moving computing workloads from on-premise to Google Cloud, we estimate that businesses have prevented over 80,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions. This is approximately equivalent to flying from Dakar to Durban over 60,000 times.
There is now a real opportunity to scale these benefits across the region. According to our estimates, only around 14% of companies across Sub-Saharan Africa are currently making use of the cloud ‒ but this is likely to increase by three-fifths by 2030, creating $32 billion extra in additional economic value for the economy.
Google Cloud Region
Johannesburg, South Africa
Google is committed to laying the foundations required for Sub-Saharan Africa to maximise on this technology. In January 2024, Google’s first cloud region on the continent was formally launched for customer use. Based in Johannesburg, the region is set to accelerate the African tech ecosystem, providing organisations with the resources they need to scale, innovate, and compete in the global marketplace.
According to research by AlphaBeta Economics for Google Cloud, the South Africa cloud region will contribute more than a cumulative USD 2.1 billion to the country’s GDP, and will support the creation of more than 40,000 jobs by 2030.
Artificial Intelligence
Google and its parent company Alphabet have long been one of the world’s leading innovators in AI. AI is the backbone of many Google products, including Search, Maps, YouTube, and Cloud, whereas Google’s groundbreaking Transformer model laid the foundation for today’s generative AI and large language models. Google launched its first African AI research centre in Ghana in 2018, and further expanded the research centre to Nairoibi, with the aim of fostering the continent’s growing capabilities in the field.
AI models offer the opportunity to significantly improve the productivity of African companies and workers. In total, we estimate that AI could increase the economy of Sub-Saharan Africa by over $30 billion.
In our polling, over half (58%) of online adults strongly agreed that taking advantage of AI could help boost growth in their country.
0
%
of online adults were very interested in using AI to help protect them online
0
%
of online adults were very interested in using AI to help take over mindless or repetitive tasks at work
0
%
of online adults businesses were very interested in using AI to help warn them of a potential medical risk
Similarly, we saw a clear appetite among African businesses for experimenting with AI, with around 80% of online businesses believing that a wide variety of use cases of AI tools could be helpful: from analysing data to improving cybersecurity.
of online businesses thought it was very likely that AI would significantly improve the productivity of their business in the next few years
of online businesses thought that AI was the technology that provided the greatest opportunity for their business
of online businesses planned to invest in AI tools in the next few years
Which, if any, of the following use cases of gen AI tools do you think could be potentially helpful for your business?
AI also offers profound solutions to long-standing societal challenges in the region. For example, AI could help find new medicines, improve agricultural productivity, detect risks from extreme weather conditions earlier or provide personalised education.
When asked how they would like to see AI being used more widely in society, there was widespread support for a whole range of use cases:
Would you support or oppose AI being used more widely in society to do the following?
This aligns with Google’s work to develop bold and responsible AI that makes the world a better place. Google’s local researchers in Accra and Nairobi collaborate with research teams across the globe to work on AI-based tools to create change for communities worldwide.
Children’s Literacy
Whilst progress has been made in children’s literacy rates, an estimated 26.5% of the youth population in Sub-Saharan Africa still cannot read or write.16
Read Along, Google’s AI-based reading tutor app and website, is helping to increase child literacy around the world. Diya, the in-app reading buddy, listens to the speaker reading aloud, offering support when they struggle, and rewarding them when they do well.
Over the past three years, more than 30 million kids have read more than 120 million stories on Read Along.17 For example, William, a little boy from Lagos, began using the app when he was 10 years old. Having previously struggled with reading, he can now confidently read for over an hour at a time.
Maternal Health
Long travel times to health facilities significantly affect pregnancy outcomes in sub-Saharan Africa, resulting in unnecessary maternal deaths and stillbirths. To address this, Google collaborated with the OnTIME Consortium to develop a tool that estimates average travel times to emergency obstetric care facilities. The tool, which utilises Google’s internal Directions API – the same API that powers navigation in Google Maps – can aid governments and public health organisations in identifying regions with limited access to these critical services.
Google and the OnTIME Consortium have now implemented this tool in Nigeria, where it shows travel times to critical facilities in Nigeria’s 15 largest cities, enabling decision-makers to improve access by expanding ambulatory services, upgrading roads, and adding new facilities.18
Assisted Ultrasound
Ultrasound technology is crucial for monitoring foetal development and identifying potential complications early in pregnancy. However, in Kenya, only 16% of pregnant women receive ultrasounds due to the high cost of traditional machines, power outage issues, and the need for specialized operators.
To address this gap, Jacaranda Health is collaborating with Google on an eight-month research project to explore how AI tools can support point-of-care ultrasound delivery in Kenya.
The project involves testing new handheld ultrasound devices that are more portable, power-efficient, and user-friendly than traditional machines. These devices, enhanced by AI technology, simplify the process of acquiring and interpreting ultrasound images, allowing nurses and technicians to perform examinations without extensive training.
Automated Diagnosis
Google has invested $1.5 million in Makerere University’s Ocular project, an AI-driven initiative to improve diagnosis of Malaria, Tuberculosis, and Cervical Cancer in Uganda. The project combines smartphone technology with existing microscopes and AI-powered computer vision to create a mobile microscopy solution. This innovation aims to reduce screening time by over 80% and achieve up to 99% specificity in diagnosis.
The funding, part of Google’s AI Global Impact Challenge, will allow the project to expand to other conditions and scale up across Uganda. A good example of Google’s commitment to leveraging AI, this project helps address critical health challenges in Sub-Saharan Africa and improve healthcare delivery.
Master Sponsored Research Agreements in Africa
In 2022, Google partnered with Kwame Nkrumah University in Ghana (KNUST) and the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences in Ghana (AIMS) to announce the first Master Sponsored Research Agreements in Africa, designed to help research and leadership sponsored programmes developing young tech-talent.
“In the decade-plus that Google has had a presence in Africa, we’ve witnessed first-hand the incredible potential for what people can do with the internet and technology. AI is undoubtedly the next frontier of that relationship and we’re excited to play an ongoing role in its African growth journey.”
Yossi Matias, Vice President, Engineering & Research
Google’s Policy Recommendations for Sub Saharan Africa
The Digital Sprinters report published by Google in 2020 established a framework for policymakers to harness the economic potential of digital technologies. That framework is even more relevant today as countries seek to participate in the AI transformation.
Becoming an AI Sprinter — a country that harnesses AI to accelerate economic development — requires both widespread AI adoption and adaptation to local needs. A robust digital foundation is crucial, and the four AI Sprinters pillars offer a roadmap for building it:
Revolutionise infrastructure with 100% adoption of cloud-first policies
Cloud computing is essential for governments, local enterprises and organisations to deploy AI systems cost-effectively, securely and at scale — ensuring that AI is widely and inclusively deployed. Policymakers should advance cloud-first initiatives that prioritise cloud solutions over traditional IT systems.
Support people with national AI skills initiatives
AI promises to propel economies forward — but this can only happen if workers know how to use AI to enhance their productivity and expertise. Google.org’s initial AI skilling commitment for developing countries is a first step. More collaboration between the public and private sectors is needed to build AI fluency, strengthen STEM education and increase online learning opportunities.
Modernise national data systems
High-quality datasets that represent diverse perspectives, languages and cultures are essential for training AI models effectively for local markets. Governments should commit to better utilising and sharing data to improve public services like health care, education, transportation and disaster response, and invest in the infrastructure needed to promote responsible use of data. Similarly, governments should enable trusted cross-border data flows to ensure models and systems are trained on rich, geographically diverse data.
Support AI-enabling regulation
Continued AI innovation — both in AI models and applications — requires the right regulatory framework, one that ensures that AI can be responsibly and boldly deployed. Governments should pursue risk-based and proportionate approaches to regulation; maintain privacy and copyright frameworks that enable use of publicly available information while respecting legitimate rights; support and contribute to the development of international technical standards for AI; and adopt national AI strategies.
Methodology
Economic Impact
Google Ads
Following the precedent of past Google impact reports, we use third-party data to estimate the total size of the Sub-Saharan Africa Google Ads market, combining our estimate of the paid search market with Statcounter estimates of Google’s market share.
In order to produce estimates of the total size of the paid search market for Sub-Saharan Africa:
- Where PWC’s Global Media and Entertainment Outline provides data directly (South Africa, Kenya and Nigeria), we use this;
- For other countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, we adjust PWC’s data for Kenya in line with:
- Population size;
- Relative GDP per capita;
- Relative level of fixed and mobile broadband adoption.
Following the methodology of the US Google Economic Impact Report, we then scale this revenue by an assumed Return on Investment (ROI) factor of 8, from:
- Varian (2009) estimates that businesses make on average $2 for every $1 they spend on AdWords.
- Jansen and Spink (2009) estimate that businesses receive 5 clicks on their search results for every 1 click on their ads.
- Google estimates that search clicks are about 70% as valuable as ad clicks.
- Total ROI is then 2 * spend + 70% * 5 * 2 * spend – spend = 8 (spend).
AdSense
In order to estimate total Adsense revenues, we combined:
- Google’s published Network Revenue for 2021, 2022 and 2023
- an assumption on Traffic Acquisition Costs as a % of Network Revenue, based on past published TAC data.
- Sub-Saharan Africa’s share of non-video display spending, derived from PWC data
Cloud
In order to estimate total Google Cloud revenues, we combined:
- Statista data on total public cloud revenue in Sub-Saharan Africa and Google Cloud’s market share;
- An assumption that every dollar invested in Cloud services by users generates a net return.
YouTube
In order to estimate the total spend on YouTube Advertising, we combined:
- YouTube’s published global advertising revenue;
- Sub-Saharan Africa’s share of total global video display spend, drawing on PWC and Statista data;
- An assumed revenue share of 55%.
Android
In order to this estimate total Android revenues, we combined:
- Statistic data on total app revenue by country;
- Statcounter data on Android market share by country;
- Assumed developer share of revenue.
In addition to this, we conservatively assume that developers earn the same amount from indirect contract work as they do from app stores.
Potential Economic Impact of Generative AI
We drew on the US O*Net occupation database, which contains information on 51 different types of work activity for around ~800 types of occupation.
- Based upon Goldman Sachs’ identification of the types of tasks exposed to automation by generative AI, we classified the proportions of tasks in each occupation that were susceptible to automation. This includes:
- Excluding tasks with the highest level of complexity
- Excluding tasks which largely take place outdoors or have large levels of physical activity. (This leads to a relatively low level of automatability for e.g. agriculture and production occupations, which is one reason why the overall level of automatability is lower.)
- We aggregated this into broader economic categories based on their overall share of US employment and average wage bill, and then created our own crosswalk to convert the results from each occupation to the corresponding occupation in ISCO-08.
- We then applied to each country based on ILO data on employment and average wages per occupation. When data is missing, we impute based on a regression against GDP.
- Aggregate by wage bill occupation and sector to produce an estimate of the total possible improvement in labour productivity.
- Assumed capital intensity remained constant and converted this labour productivity improvement into an overall improvement in GVA.
Potential Return on Investment from Digital Technology
Our headline estimate is an equally weighted estimate of investing in:
- Mobile broadband and telecoms;
- Generative AI;
- Cloud.
Mobile Broadband
To estimate the potential ROI from mobile broadband, we:
- Drew on historic ITU data on mobile broadband subscriptions, and applied an S-curve adoption model to project forward likely adoption through to 2030.
- Used GSMA data to convert penetration data into an estimated overall penetration rate.
- Drew on a ITU / TAS (2019) regression on the impact of increased mobile broadband penetration on growth.
- Used ITU data on mobile broadband costs as a proportion of GNI per capita to estimate costs per user.
Cloud
To estimate the potential ROI from cloud, we:
- Estimated a weighted average of cloud spend per employee, based on Statista data running through to 2028, and then project this forward to 2030.
- Combined the results of two models to look at its impact on economic activity:
- In the first model, we applied a direct ROI to overall cloud spend, based on the average reported ROI from Public First’s own internal dataset on businesses reported ROI from cloud.
- In the second model, we used a regression to translate this overall amount of cloud spend into an overall level of cloud prevalence for each country and Sub-Saharan Africa. We then drew on a literature review of existing research on the connection between digital technology and business productivity (e.g. TAS (2023), OECD (2019)).
Generative AI
To estimate the potential return from AI, we:
- Drew on our estimate for the overall potential from generative AI (as above).
- Applied a 20 year S-curve diffusion model, starting in 2022, to look at the potential proportion of this impact that could be achieved by 2030.
Used our overall automatability estimate per economy as a proxy for the proportion of the workforce that is likely to be affected.
