Google has announced the launch of its first product development centre in Africa, to be located in Nairobi.
According to the company, its new product development centre will help to create transformative products and services for people in Africa and around the world and will be hiring visionary engineers, product managers, UX designers and researchers to lay the foundation for significant growth in the coming years.
In a webinar organised to announce the launch, Vice President for Products, Google, Suzanne Frey, “Google’s mission in Africa is to make the Internet helpful to Africans and partner with African governments, policymakers, educators, entrepreneurs, and businesses to shape the next wave of innovation in Africa.
“Today I am excited to welcome all Africans passionate about improving the digital experience of African users by building better products to apply for the open roles at our first product development centre in Africa.”
The Managing Director for Google in Africa, Nitin Gajria, added, “There are 300 million internet users in Africa who are young, mobile-first and have similar patterns to mobile youth globally.
“By 2030, Africa will have 800 million internet users and a third of the world’s under-35 population. The potential for Africa to become a leading digital economy is right on the horizon and Google is committed to accelerating Africa’s digital transformation through human capital and enabling ‘African-led solutions to African and global problems’ through better products.”
The firm added that its new centre is recruiting creative people who can help solve difficult and important technical challenges on the continent.