Google has exceeded a five-year target to invest $1 billion in Africa, it said on Wednesday, ​as it made public initiatives on infrastructure and the development ‌of AI to accelerate the continent's digital growth.

They follow Google's launch of cloud services for the Johannesburg region in 2025.

Here are ​the details of the new initiatives that Google, ​owned by Alphabet, announced at the first Africa Cloud ⁠Summit in Johannesburg.

• Google will establish a connectivity hub in South ​Africa's Eastern Cape, the first of four planned connectivity hubs ​on the continent.
• The facility will link Africa to Australia via the Umoja subsea cable and to India through a new route, strengthening internet ​resilience and capacity.
• Africa's first applied AI lab in Ghana will ​pair local startups with Google researchers and provide early access to its ‌AI ⁠models.
• A more than $1 million programme in partnership with UK actor Idris Elba's Akuna Group will train underrepresented creators in AI-driven storytelling.
• Google's Economic and Community Development programme and WeThinkCode have committed ​to build a ​3 million ⁠rand ($183,468) digital innovation centre in Soweto, Johannesburg.
• Google also said its startup accelerator programme will back ​15 South African firms as part of Google's ​pledge ⁠to back 50 African ventures between 2024 and 2028.
• "The AI opportunity for Africa is significant, and Google is committed to doing ⁠our ​part, working with Africans to help Africa ​realise it," James Manyika, Google's senior vice president for research and technology, ​told reporters.