en.Wedoany.com Reported - Google has confirmed that the Eastern Cape province of South Africa will host a new digital exchange hub, which will serve as a submarine cable landing station as part of the Umoja project. Umoja is the first fiber optic line directly connecting Africa to Australia.

Speaking to TechCentral at South Africa's inaugural Google Cloud Summit in Johannesburg, Alex Okosi, Managing Director of Google Africa, stated that the project has received construction permits but has not yet broken ground, with the specific location undisclosed. Google has not released details on the landing station's capacity or other technical specifications. Okosi's description suggests the hub will simultaneously function as a cable landing station, edge data center, and potential internet exchange point.

James Manyika, Senior Vice President of Research, Labs, Technology & Society at Google, noted that the company is making new investments in key areas, spanning infrastructure, Africa-led innovation, education, and skills development—from the new digital exchange port in the Eastern Cape to Africa's first applied AI lab.

The Eastern Cape hub is one of four digital exchange hubs first announced by Okosi in September 2025, positioned as the southern anchor. The locations of the remaining three hubs have not yet been confirmed, but Okosi stated, "We will still build one in East Africa, one in West Africa, and there will be some in North Africa as well."

Google is building Umoja to lay the infrastructure foundation for terrestrial providers in Africa, reducing connectivity costs, thereby driving down prices and increasing digital adoption among businesses and consumers. As adoption rises, Google plans to become an enabling platform through its "full-stack approach" to AI infrastructure.

Okosi pointed out that Africa is expected to account for one-third of the global youth population over the next five years, and new job opportunities will not emerge in traditional sectors. The company is committed to integrating AI into all aspects of work.

In terms of skills development, Kabelo Makwane, Country Director of Google South Africa, confirmed a partnership with WeThinkCode to invest 3 million rand in a digital innovation center at the George Tabor campus of South West Gauteng College in Dube, Soweto. The center aims to provide a space where entrepreneurs, creators, and technologists can access Google tools and expertise.

Additionally, Google has established an applied AI lab in Accra, Ghana, as part of its $37 million investment in AI skills and research. Located at the Accra AI Community Center, the lab will support founders in leveraging the latest AI research to address African local challenges in work, knowledge, creativity, entertainment, and software development.

Okosi emphasized that laying the foundational infrastructure is most critical; otherwise, the gap between Africa and the rest of the world will continue to widen. This is the most capital-intensive part of building an AI future for Africa.