Google is fast making its mark as a champion of small businesses in South Africa. Its ambitions, however, stretch far beyond giving a fillip to South African entrepreneurs. The technology giant is intent on extending and improving internet access and usage throughout Africa. An internet business hub in Lagos, Android developer support in Addis Ababa, digital document archiving in Nairobi, voter education across YouTube in Dakar and voice recognition research in Vanderbiljpark are among the many diverse projects Google has initiated and funded across the continent.

“Our goal is to establish vibrant and healthy internet ecosystems that can benefit the economy and broader society of the countries in which we operate,” says Luke McKend, country manager at Google South Africa. The South African subsidiary is responsible for overseeing most of the corporation’s development projects in sub-Saharan Africa. It works closely with Google offices in Kenya, Uganda, Nigeria, Senegal and Ghana.