The Empower Africa Business Platform is Now Live !!!
Tech giant Google has announced a landmark collaboration with Africa-focussed infrastructure company Cassava Technologies, aimed at making artificial intelligence tools more affordable and accessible across the continent — a region widely regarded as the youngest and fastest-growing digital market in the world.
Under this partnership, eligible mobile users will be able to use the Gemini AI app without consuming their mobile data.
Cassava Technologies will work through its broad network of technology partners to enable this zero-data service.
At the same time, Google is offering a six-month free trial of its premium AI subscription, the Google AI Plus plan, which unlocks access to its most advanced AI models and productivity features.
A key objective of the initiative is to boost educational opportunities.
Google and Cassava envisage a future in which students, teachers and parents use AI to learn, ideate and collaborate in more personalised ways.
Through Gemini, students will be able to explore tough concepts, engage in coding, and build creative projects without being constrained by data costs.
The Google AI Plus plan further enhances these experiences with tools such as NotebookLM — which converts textbooks into interactive guides — as well as Gemini-powered writing assistance in Google Docs and a creative storytelling tool called Google Flow.
Subscribers also receive 200 GB of cloud storage to support seamless learning and collaboration.
According to both companies, this partnership reflects a common ambition to “democratise AI” for millions across Africa’s rapidly evolving digital economies.
By lowering the cost of access and providing advanced tools, the Gemini–Cassava alliance aims to empower Africa’s youth — who are already making a global cultural impact via art, music and technology — enabling them to learn, build and create with AI.
This initiative complements broader infrastructure moves in Africa.
Cassava Technologies has been the recipient of substantial investments — including a reported US$90 million equity injection that included Google among the investors — to expand digital infrastructure across more than 30 countries.
Google has unveiled the latest cohort of startups selected for the 2024 Google for Startups Accelerator Africa program, reinforcing its commitment to fostering Africa’s growing tech ecosystem.
Candi Solar, a Swiss clean energy company, has secured $38 million in funding to accelerate its solar power solutions for commercial and industrial (C&I) customers in Africa and India.
Lingawa, a Techstars-backed edtech startup, has announced a strategic pivot from academic tutoring to African language learning, reflecting its mission to preserve and promote native languages.
