The Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) is set to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Google aimed at advancing digital skills development and the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in South Africa’s education sector.
The signing ceremony will take place at Google’s Johannesburg offices in Bryanston on Monday, 30 March 2026, and will be facilitated by Higher Education and Training Deputy Minister, Dr Mimmy Gondwe.
The landmark agreement is expected to advance digital skills, integrate AI into higher education institutions, and support workforce development in South Africa.
This marks the fourth successful public-private partnership for student and youth skills development concluded by the Deputy Minister.
According to the department, the MoU will prioritise access to training initiatives, including 5 000 Google Career Certificate scholarships in fields such as AI Essentials, Cybersecurity and Data Analytics, among others.
The scholarships will target students, educators, and IT staff in selected public universities, Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), and Community Education and Training (CET) colleges, with a particular focus on rural and township communities.
“Google will offer AI training for educators through programmes like Generative AI for Educators and collaborate on a train-the-trainer model to enable broader skills dissemination,” the department explained.
The partnership will also focus on curriculum development, with Google facilitating access to AI and technology curricula, co-creating localised content, and supporting integration at institutional level.
In addition, the agreement includes technology support measures such as deploying ChromeOS Flex to revitalise existing hardware, providing strategic hardware advisory services, and strengthening institutional IT capacity through advanced training.
The MoU further provides for collaboration on policy and governance, including the sharing of expertise on AI policy development and access to relevant Google AI tools for public institutions.
The signing ceremony will be led by the Deputy Minister and attended by students, departmental officials, and senior Google executives. The event will also feature demonstrations of Google’s AI programmes.