Google & AfCFTA Launch AI Training as Experts Warn of Skills Gap - November 2025

Google and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat have launched a program to train 7,500 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) across Africa in AI and digital trade skills. This initiative, powered by the Google Hustle Academy, aims to bridge the digital skills gap. Complementing this effort, Google's CEO Sundar Pichai advises users not to "blindly trust" AI tools, acknowledging their susceptibility to errors. In a related warning, Frank Blackmore, lead economist at KPMG, stated that a significant skills gap and limited historical data could impede Africa’s ability to fully leverage Artificial Intelligence for economic growth in 2026. Blackmore urges urgent collaboration between the public and private sectors to address these challenges.