Microsoft is significantly expanding its footprint in Africa, aiming to train 3 million people on its AI technologies this year. This aggressive push targets key markets including South Africa, Kenya, Nigeria, and Morocco as the company seeks to cement its ecosystem in the world’s fastest-growing digital region.
The initiative comes at a time of intensifying competition from China’s DeepSeek, whose open-source models have already captured up to 20% of the chatbot market in countries like Ethiopia and Zimbabwe. To broaden its reach, Microsoft has partnered with MTN Group to distribute its Copilot assistant to 300 million subscribers.
Beyond training, the tech giant is investing $330 million to expand cloud capacity in South Africa and exploring a geothermal-powered data center in Kenya, with regional leaders estimating that AI could add $1.5 trillion to Africa’s GDP by 2030.
Microsoft Launches AI Training for 3 Million Africans Amid Rising Competition
