WeThinkCode secures $2 million funding from Google to train 12,000 African youths in AI

South African tech academy WeThinkCode has secured a $2 million (R35.94 million) grant from Google to expand its Artificial Intelligence (AI) training programs in Africa. The funding will be deployed to empower 12,000 learners from disadvantaged backgrounds in South Africa and Kenya with AI skills for the rapidly evolving global job market.

The program, which will run in 2026, will train learners to integrate AI effectively into their daily administrative activities to boost efficiency and productivity. 

The Google-funded program will feature two distinct AI training batches. The first, “AI for software engineers,” will train 6,000 prospective and early-career engineers in essential AI-powered programming tools and workflows, by enhancing their technical capabilities. The second stream, “AI for non-tech careers,” will empower another 6,000 students and junior employees from diverse sectors such as legal, education, and health.

“To ensure successful delivery and broad accessibility, WeThinkCode will enhance its learning management system to support both remote and in-person training, with local language adaptations,” the company said.

According to the company, the 40 to 80 hours free program will focus on activities such as practical skills, group projects, and mentorship by tailoring real-world AI applications to the African context.

“The programme will also leverage existing partnerships with companies across financial services, telecommunications, and tech consulting to showcase participants’ newly acquired AI capabilities and significantly improve their employment prospects,” the company added.

Data from the International Finance Corporation shows that Africa’s digital economy is expected to represent between 5.2 per cent and 8.5 per cent of the continent’s GDP by 2050. While Africa faces a significant skills deficit in this context, the African Development Bank estimates that 230 million jobs will require digital skills by 2030. For WeThinkCode, its professional programs look to create a generation of bright minds that meet the fast-growing tech demands and reduce the digital sector’s inequality. 

While WeThinkCode is stepping up to the rescue, other regional initiatives, such as Decagon in Nigeria and ALX in East Africa, also pursue similar goals. 

Also Read: Meet the 5 African startups selected for Google.org AI accelerator.

Moreover, Google has been funding skills development in Africa. In 2021, Google CEO Sundar Pichai said that the company would invest $1 billion across five years in digital transformation in Africa. Earlier this year, at the launch of the company’s Johannesburg cloud region, Google’s Europe, Middle East, and Africa President Tara Brady stressed the opportunities for AI investment in the continent.

WeThinkCode

Founded in 2015, WeThinkCode is a non-profit company and public benefit organisation (PBO) which offers tuition-free, aptitude-based training. Its business design operates across the youth development value chain by identifying disadvantaged young people with a high aptitude for coding.

WeThinkCode focuses on youth who possess university degrees and may lack access to the formal education system. The recruits are trained over 16 months and placed in jobs as software developers at some of South Africa’s most reputable and innovative companies.

Most students participating in the academy’s tech training come from low-income households, with 30 per cent emerging from financially disadvantaged households earning less than $19,500 (R350,000) per annum. Also, 60 per cent of WeThinkCode students come from extremely low-income households, earning less than $4,178 (R75,000) per annum.

Since taking in its first cohort in 2016 in Johannesburg, the academy has grown notably, expanding to Cape Town in 2018 and Durban in 2021. Since 2018, the academy has trained over 1,000 individuals, with 87 per cent placed in tech roles.

WeThinkCode offers a vast curriculum at public technical vocational education and training (TVET) colleges in South Africa. The courses are delivered across five campuses, including Ekurhuleni West College and Central Johannesburg College.