South African coding academy WeThinkCode has secured a USD 2 M grant from Google.org to scale its AI skills training programmes across South Africa and Kenya.
Its a significant boost to Africa's rising role in the global digital economy as the move signals not just philanthropic goodwill, but a strategic investment in plugging one of the continent's most pressing talent gaps: AI readiness.
The funding will empower 12,000 learners-half of them in non-technical roles-to gain practical AI knowledge through a new curriculum designed to meet both the region's socio-economic realities and its future-of-work ambitions.
The initiative couldn't be more timely. According to a SAP report cited by the academy, 90 of African companies are already feeling the pain of AI skills shortages, manifesting as delayed projects, abandoned innovations, and lost business.
Founded in 2015 by Arlene Mulder, Camille Agon and Yossi Hasson, WeThinkCode has earned a reputation for its tuition-free, aptitude-based tech training model that targets youth from underserved backgrounds.
