Alphabet owned Google has opened registration for the 2026 Hustle Academy Programme for small business owners, entrepreneurs and students in South Africa, Kenya, and Nigeria.
Key Takeaways:
-Google officially Kicks-off registration for the 2026 Google Hustle Academy Programme
-The Hustle Academy is aimed at equipping Business owners, Entrepreneurs and Young Students with skills in Artificial intelligence and Digital Literacy
-The Google Hustle Academy Business Bootcamp is a completely free, targeted training program for African entrepreneurs. It equips small and medium-sized business (SMB) owners in Nigeria with practical skills to scale operations, with a strong focus on utilizing AI and digital tools
-Select Businesses, Entrepreneurs and Students from South Africa, Kenya and Nigeria can register for the 2026 Hustle Academy Programme
The 2026 Hustle Academy programme, hosted by tech giant Google looks to help bridge Africa’s artificial intelligence (AI) skills gap and equip businesses, entrepreneurs and young students with practical digital skills to meet up to current global digital times.
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 released by Google, the 2026 edition of the Hustle Academy has been redesigned into a shorter, high-impact format consisting of high impacting 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.
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 initiative comes at a critical time for the continent, with generative AI projected to contribute as much as $100 billion annually to Africa’s economy.
In Africa today, there is a huge shortage in necessary Artificial intelligence skills needed for productivity and efficiency. Today, 9 out of 10 businesses report being negatively affected by a shortage of AI skills, according to Google.
According to Siya Madikane, a communications and public affairs manager at Google South Africa.
“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.”
On the brighter side, Participants will join a vibrant 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.
Registration for the 2026 Google Hustle Academy is free for entrepreneurs, SME owners and students across SA, Kenya and Nigeria. No prior tech degree is required. Registration for the live one-day boot camps and webinars is open.
SME owners and students across SA, Kenya and Nigeria will receive virtual and in-person trainings in Africa’s artificial intelligence (AI) skills, Digital Literacy and Leadership thereby equipping businesses, entrepreneurs and young students with practical digital skills to meet up to current global digital times.
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