Graduates of Google’s Hustle Academy. (Image: Supplied)
Google has opened registration for the 2026 Hustle Academy programme, as the tech giant looks to help bridge Africa’s artificial intelligence (AI) skills gap and equip entrepreneurs and students with practical digital skills.
From this week, small business owners, entrepreneurs and students in South Africa, Kenya and Nigeria can register for free access to the training sessions.
According to a statement, Google has redesigned the 2026 edition of the Hustle Academy into a shorter, high-impact format consisting of one-day bootcamps and 60-minute expert-led webinars aimed at making the training more accessible to busy entrepreneurs and students.
The Hustle Academy was launched in 2022 to provide bootcamp-style training on business strategy, digital skills, AI and leadership. The programme has since trained over 18 000 SMEs, with many reporting increased revenue and job creation, notes Google.
The initiative comes at a critical time for the continent, with generative AI projected to contribute as much as $100 billion (R1.66 trillion) annually to Africa’s economy, while nine out of 10 businesses already report being negatively affected by a shortage of AI skills, according to Google.
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Africa’s digital economy is expected to grow from $34 billion this year to $72 billion by 2031. However, the continent continues to face a shortage of advanced digital and AI professionals required to support that growth.
“The new format was designed with the busy student and entrepreneur in mind,” says Siya Madikane, communications and public affairs manager at Google South Africa.
“Time is the one thing entrepreneurs and students never have enough of, which is why we built the programme around that. A day-long bootcamp or a 60-minute webinar is a more realistic fit into a real working week.”
According to Google, AI has been integrated throughout the programme’s coursework, enabling participants to learn how to automate marketing tasks, better understand customer behaviour, accelerate creative production and reduce time spent on administration.
The company says the growing urgency around AI skills development is reflected in industry research. A recent study by SAP found that 90% of African businesses are already experiencing negative impacts linked to the AI skills shortage.
Research by McKinsey & Company also found that generative AI tools, such as Gemini and ChatGPT, could significantly boost economic growth across the continent by improving productivity and livelihoods.
“If you want your business to compete, AI skills are essential to its growth; if you’re a graduate who can use AI, you’re more likely to get hired,” says Madikane.
“Cost should never be the factor holding back a founder from learning. That’s why all the content offered by the Hustle Academy is free.”
Participants will join a network of more than 20 000 Hustle Academy alumni and industry experts.
This year’s programme includes one-day bootcamps featuring practical templates and live Q&A sessions, as well as focused webinars covering subjects such as practical AI for business, market strategy and sales funnels.
The 2026 Google Hustle Academy is free for entrepreneurs, SME owners and students across SA, Kenya and Nigeria. Noprior tech degree is required. Registration for the live one-day boot camps and webinars is open now at rsvp.withgoogle.com/events/hustle-academy.
