Google, Idris Elba Launch AI Programme to Support Nearly 100,000 African Creators

Google has partnered with British actor and entrepreneur Idris Elbau to expand access to artificial intelligence tools for Africa’s creative industry. The US$1 million initiative will equip nearly 100,000 creators across five African countries with AI training, technical support and digital production tools.

The programme, unveiled at Google’s inaugural Africa Cloud Summit in Johannesburg, will be implemented through the Elba Hope Foundation and Akuna Group. It targets creators in Nigeria, South Africa, Ghana, Kenya and Sierra Leone.

Participants will gain access to Google’s Gemini platform and receive training on using AI for idea generation, script development, video editing, audio enhancement and faster production workflows. The initiative is intended to help independent filmmakers, musicians, designers and digital storytellers reduce the high costs associated with professional production and post-production.

The programme forms part of broader efforts to strengthen Africa’s creative economy by investing in technology and infrastructure that can help local content compete in international markets. It comes as the African Export-Import Bank’s Fund for Export Development in Africa appointed One Street Studios as co-general partner of the Pan-African Film Fund, which aims to mobilise up to US$1 billion for commercially viable film, television, immersive media projects, distribution and studio infrastructure.

Despite generating an estimated US$58 billion annually and employing millions of people, Sub-Saharan Africa’s creative sector continues to face challenges including limited financing, unreliable electricity, costly internet access and expensive production equipment.

The announcement also builds on Google’s broader investment in Africa, which has surpassed its five-year US$1 billion commitment and includes plans to establish an Applied AI Lab in Accra while expanding cloud and digital infrastructure across the continent.