Official Google Africa Blog

A Global Journalism Emergency Relief Fund for local news

Wednesday, April 15, 2020

But that role is being challenged as the news industry deals with job cuts, furloughs and cutbacks as a result of the economic downturn prompted by COVID-19. The Google News Initiative wants to help by launching a Journalism Emergency Relief Fund to deliver urgent aid to thousands of small, medium and local news publishers globally. The funding is open to news organizations producing original news for local communities during this time of crisis, and will range from the low thousands of dollars for small hyper-local newsrooms to low tens of thousands for larger newsrooms, with variations per region.

Starting today, publishers everywhere can apply for funds via a simple application form. We’ve made this as streamlined as possible to ensure we get help to eligible publishers all over the world. Applications will close on Wednesday April 29, 2020 at 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time. At the end of the process, we’ll announce who has received funding and how publishers are spending the money.

Additionally, we recognize that covering the coronavirus pandemic can take its toll on reporters on the front line. That’s why Google.org is giving $1 million collectively to the International Center for Journalists, which plans to provide immediate resources to support reporters globally, and the Columbia Journalism School's Dart Center for Journalism and Trauma which is helping journalists exposed to traumatic events experienced during the crisis.

Today’s news builds on other efforts we’ve made to support the industry and connect people to quality information at this time of need. We believe it is important to do what we can to alleviate the financial pressures on newsrooms, and will continue to look at other ways to help with more to announce soon.

Richard Gingras, VP of News, Google

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Un fonds mondial d’aide d’urgence pour le journalisme en faveur de l’information locale

En temps normal, l’information locale joue un rôle essentiel pour assurer le lien entre les gens et au sein des communautés. Aujourd’hui, ce média remplit une fonction encore plus importante en relayant les consignes concernant le confinement et l’ordre de rester chez soi, les fermetures d’écoles et de parcs, ainsi que les informations sur l’impact du COVID-19 sur la vie quotidienne.

Mais ce rôle est remis en question à l’heure où le secteur de l’information est confronté à des suppressions d’emplois, au chômage technique et à des réductions de personnel en raison du ralentissement économique provoqué par le COVID-19. Google News Initiative veut apporter son aide en lançant un Fonds d’aide d’urgence pour le journalisme dans l’objectif de fournir un soutien rapide à des milliers d’éditeurs de presse locale - petits et moyens - dans le monde entier. Ce fonds est destiné aux organes de presse qui produisent des contenus d’information qui s’adressent aux communautés locales en cette période de crise. Les montants varieront de quelques milliers de dollars pour les petites rédactions des journaux couvrant un territoire extrêmement restreint à plusieurs dizaines de milliers pour les structures plus importantes, avec des variations selon les régions.

À partir d’aujourd’hui, les éditeurs du monde entier peuvent déposer une demande de financement au moyen d’un simple formulaire. Nous avons simplifié au maximum cette procédure afin que les éditeurs éligibles du monde entier puissent bénéficier de cette aide. La date limite de dépôt des demandes est fixée au mercredi 29 avril 2020 à 23h59, heure du Pacifique. À l’issue de ce processus, nous annoncerons les noms des éditeurs qui bénéficieront de ces fonds et nous préciserons l’usage qui en sera fait.

Par ailleurs, nous sommes conscients que la couverture de la pandémie de coronavirus peut avoir des conséquences sur la santé des journalistes en première ligne. C’est pourquoi Google.org a effectué un don d’un montant total d’1 million de dollars au profit du Centre international des journalistes, qui prévoit de fournir des ressources immédiates afin de soutenir les journalistes dans le monde entier, et du Dart Center for Journalism and Trauma de l’école de journalisme de Columbia qui vient en aide aux journalistes exposés à des événements traumatiques pendant la crise.

L’information diffusée aujourd’hui s’appuie sur d’autres initiatives que nous avons prises pour soutenir ce secteur et pour permettre aux citoyens d’avoir accès à une information de qualité dans cette période difficile. Nous pensons qu’il est important de faire le maximum pour alléger la pression financière qui pèse sur les rédactions. Nous poursuivons nos efforts dans ce sens et annoncerons prochainement d’autres initiatives.

Posté par Richard Gingras, vice-président de l’information, Google

Pray #WithMe: Connect online with your faith community

Friday, April 10, 2020

This week, millions of people across the globe will celebrate Passover and Easter. And in the coming weeks, millions will begin to observe Ramadan. This year, these important religious holidays will feel very different, as faith organizations all over the world look for new ways to celebrate safely in order to reduce the spread of COVID-19 within their communities.
During these difficult times, it’s important for us to continue to connect with each other and feel part of our wider communities, even from home.

While some faith organizations have used digital tools to connect with their congregations for many years, this year’s broadly mandated orders to stay home will make it essential for churches, synagogues, mosques, families and individuals to find new ways of coming together, online.

The shift has already begun - since the start of March, the combined subscribers of all Vatican News channels has more than doubled.

To assist faith organizations everywhere who are new to online services, YouTube has brought together helpful information to get started with live streaming. Please visit our Playlist and Help Center for best practices, or check out instructions for hosting a live stream event either from a mobile device or desktop.

African artists are also joining this special weekend of music and celebration. We invite you to join top African artists like Jethro Tait, Joeboy, King Perry, and Nasty C as they make music and chat with fans. As it is Easter weekend, gospel music lovers can join special performances hosted by top African gospel artists such as Benjamin Dube, Folabi Nuel, Glowreeyah, Mnqobi Nxumalo, Mthunzi Namba and Nosa, . Please visit goo.gle/stayhomewithme for the complete schedule and YouTube livestream links.

We also invite you to celebrate with a special Saturday Night Seder, premiering exclusively on YouTube via Tasty and SaturdayNightSeder on Saturday, April 11th at 12am GMT. This Passover-themed variety show will raise funds for the CDC Foundation, and includes comedy sketches, heartfelt moments and music, with an impressive list of participants including Jason Alexander, Ben Platt, Idina Menzel, Dan Levy, Henry Winkler, Tan France and Senator Chuck Schumer, among many others.

For those celebrating Good Friday and Easter, many churches are hosting live streams for their local congregations, so please check in with your church. The Vatican will live stream all of its Holy Week services from St. Peter’s Basilica, including Easter Sunday mass at 9AM GMT

Renowned opera singer Andrea Bocelli will perform live at 5PM GMT on Sunday, April 12 from Milan’s historic Duomo Cathedral, available exclusively on YouTube. The concert entitled, “Music For Hope,” will represent a message of love, healing and hope to Italy and the world. The Duomo, currently closed, will open its doors exceptionally for Andrea Bocelli who will be accompanied only by the cathedral organist, Emanuele Vianelli, playing one of world’s largest pipe organs. The “Music For Hope” trailer can be seen here.

We’ll have more to share in the next few weeks about upcoming Ramadan celebrations.

We wish safe and healthy holidays for faith communities across the world.
-- The YouTube Team

YouTube Music Lands in Naija!

Wednesday, March 11, 2020

Coachella livestreamJoroOn The LowGod's planYouTube Musica new music streaming service
Here are six reasons we think you’re gonna like YouTube Music:

It’s ALL here. Not just music videos, but official albums, singles, remixes, live performances, covers and hard-to-find music you can only get on YouTube.
Recommendations built for you. A home screen that dynamically adapts to provide recommendations based on what you’ve played before, where you are and what you’re doing. At the gym workin’ on that fitness? Escaping during your commute? The right music is right here, built just for you.
Thousands of playlists across any genre, mood or activity. That means no matter what kind of music you like, where you are, what you’re doing, or what mood you’re in, you can easily find the right playlist for that moment. Try “RELEASED” to discover new music or “Afrobeats Hotlist” to get the rhythm flowing.
Smart Search so we’ll find the song, even if you can’t remember what it’s called. Try “that billionaire song” or “That rap song with flute” - We got you. You can also search by lyrics (even if they’re wrong). It’s that “bode thomas” right?
The hottest videos. The hottest videos in the world right now are right there, on their own dedicated Hotlist screen. And with YouTube Music Premium you can seamlessly transition between a song and its music video for uninterrupted listening and watching with a simple tap of a button.
No internet? No problem. Get YouTube Music Premium to listen ad-free, in the background and on-the-go with downloads. Plus, your Offline Mixtape automatically downloads songs you love just in case you forgot to.

While fans can enjoy the new ad-supported version of YouTube Music for free, we’re also launching YouTube Music Premium, a paid membership that gives you background listening, downloads and an ad-free experience for [N900] a month. Music fans can get one month free of YouTube Music Premium here, ([N900] per month after, [N1,400] per month for a Family Plan).

YouTube Premium also launches today
Starting today, you can also upgrade to YouTube Premium, providing members with the benefits of Music Premium, plus ad-free, background, and downloads across all of YouTube. You can also binge-watch YouTube Originals shows and movies, including the hit series Cobra Kai and many more. Try YouTube Premium free for one month here, ([N1,100] per month after, [N1,700] per month for a Family Plan).

Google Play Music subscribers will automatically receive access to YouTube Music Premium at their current price. Nothing is changing with Google Play Music - you'll still be able to access all of your purchased music, uploads and playlists in Google Play Music just like always.

YouTube Music and YouTube Premium are rolling out to users in Nigeria starting today. Get the new YouTube Music from the Play Store and App Store today or check out the web player at music.youtube.com. You can sign up for YouTube Premium at youtube.com/premium.

Posted by the YouTube Music Team

Funding 21 news projects in the Middle East, Africa and Turkey

Tuesday, February 18, 2020

Finding new and meaningful ways to engage readers is a hot topic for news organizations of any size, and the first Google News Initiative (GNI) Innovation Challenge for the Middle East, Turkey and Africa prompted a myriad of different approaches. The GNI Innovation Challenges, part of Google’s $300 million commitment to help journalism thrive in the digital age, saw news innovators step forward with new thinking. In South Africa, Daily Maverick proposed a “relevancy engine” that would aggregate data feeds about reader behavior for small and medium publishers. In Jordan, podcast startup Sowt looked to tackle the challenge with a new hosting platform for news podcasts.

We launched the Middle East, Turkey and Africa Innovation Challenge last June, and received 527 applications from 35 countries. After a rigorous review, a round of interviews and a final jury selection process, we selected 21 projects from 13 countries to receive $1.93 million in funding. There are 7 projects from Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda and South Africa respectively.

The call for applications listed four criteria: impact, feasibility, innovation and inspiration, and the successful projects clearly demonstrated all four. Here are just a few of the awardees (you can find the full list on our website):

Demirören Teknoloji Anonim Şirketi in Turkey wants to solve the tagging process for the Turkish language to help with the news discovery distribution process. Currently this work requires cumbersome manual work from their journalists, taking a precious share of their time.
Daily news publisher Israel Hayom will be creating a loyalty scheme where online users get real-life rewards in the form of tickets or money-saving offers.
Nas News wants to engage Iraq’s citizens in video debates for positive change with a mobile-first social and news platform that allows users to read and debate on local and national topics.
L'Orient le Jour in Lebanon wants to build a new loyalty plan to offer special and personalized privileges to subscribers via an interactive platform.
The National in the UAE will develop a service that converts quality text news into audio in real time, in both English and Arabic.
Ringier Africa Digital Publishing in Nigeria will be increasing personalization across their platform using a blend of prediction, recommendation and local information pages to increase user engagement.

A second round of the Middle East, Turkey and Africa Innovation Challenge will open for applications later in the year: Watch for details on our website..

Posted by Sarah Hartley, Recipients Manager, GNI Innovation Challenges

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Celebrate the 30th anniversary of Nelson Mandela’s release from prison on Google Arts & Culture

Thursday, February 13, 2020

Nelson Mandela, photograph by Andrew Zuckerman, copyright Nelson R. Mandela, from the collection of the Nelson Mandela Center of Memory

g.co/longwalktofreedom

Nelson Mandela walks out of the gates of Victor Verster prison, 11 February 1990, photograph by Gideon Mendel / Courtesy of ARTCO Gallery, from the collection of the Nelson Mandela Foundation

The digital project brings together activists, leaders and people key to carrying on Madiba’s legacy through intimate stories and photographs. Listen to Verne Harris, Madiba’s personal archivist, narrate his memories of the day and why he thinks it’s crucial for the collective memory of South Africa. Even if you were born free in the 2000s, Zulaikha Patel, an activist for gender equality, argues there is still a long way to go. Listen to her being inspired by that day, and how it has fueled her passion for activism and human rights.

As you’re exploring Madiba's life and legacy and how he has influenced many people alive today, be sure to step into the Cape Town City Hall in VR. Take a few moments to reflect on where you are today, and what you want to create for the generations to come. As Madiba said “For to be free is not merely to cast off one's chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.”

Nelson Mandela arriving at Cape Town City Hall, photograph by Gideon Mendel / Courtesy of ARTCO Gallery, from the collection of the Nelson Mandela Foundation

Nelson Mandela addresses spectators from the Balcony of the Town Hall, Cape Town, 11 February 1990, photograph by Leon Muller, from the collection of the Nelson Mandela Foundation

Posted by Sello Hatang, Chief Executive, The Nelson Mandela Foundation and Fortune Mgwili-Sibanda, Google Policy Manager

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A Safer Internet For Africa

Tuesday, February 11, 2020

Safer Internet Day

here Providing organisations with funds to help support the online safety efforts for children is one thing, we are also looking at expanding programs around internet literacy through our landmark program for kids, Be Internet Awesome. Starting today, the program will launch in Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa today. By working with our partners across the region to teach kids how to be safe, confident explorers of the online world.

“Be Internet Awesome” is designed to help children practice smart tactics for analysing and evaluating information, sharing media with caution, protecting and securing private data, and handling cyberbullying, for example.

Protecting you wherever you are Online safety isn’t just for children, grown ups also need to be cautious online and how they interact with the web. Last year we launched a refreshed Google Play Protect experience with built-in malware protection for Android devices. This has prevented more than 1.9 billion potentially harmful application installs from unknown sources since it was announced.

In August 2019, we made our strongest security program more accessible by enabling you to use your Android or iOS phone as a security key instead of a standard physical security key that you need to carry around. You don’t need to be an expert in computer security to stay safe, which is why we have designed the best-in-class security features to keep you protected against evolving online threats wherever you are on Google and across the internet.

In 2019 we launched our online safety roadshow and expanded our Web Rangers club, enabling us to reach over 100,000 kids, parents and educators. We've also built products such as Password Checkup, which scans hundreds of millions of passwords every day to warn you if your passwords have been compromised anywhere on the web. More than 100 million users have run the Password Checkup since we launched it in 2019.

Online safety is everybody’s concern. Celebrate Safer Internet Day with us through getting a Security Checkup, or try our Phishing Quiz. If you’re a parent, you could set digital ground rules for your children with Family Link, or share your top tips online with the #SID2020 hashtag. At Google, we’re constantly building, developing and investing in tools and projects to help you and your family stay safe. To learn more about our resources to keep you and your family safe, please visit the Google Safety Center.

Posted by Mojolaoluwa Aderemi-Makinde, Head, Brand & Reputation, Google Africa

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Announcing our first developer Space in Africa

Tuesday, January 28, 2020

Today, we launched our first Google Developers Space on the African continent, in Lagos, Nigeria. The Google Developers Space is a hub for African developers, entrepreneurs and startups and will house the Google Launchpad Accelerator Africa.

Making good on our commitment Back in 2017 our CEO, Sundar Pichai, made a commitment to African entrepreneurs to start the Launchpad Accelerator Africa program and launch a space to house these efforts in Nigeria. The Google Developers Space is the realisation of that commitment, and will provide a hub where entrepreneurs, developers, mentors, VCs and investors can connect and collaborate with each other.

To make sure we took the needs of the African tech ecosystem into account, we partnered and co-located with Impact Hub to bring the Space to life and worked with a local company, Spacefinish to design and create an environment that fosters collaboration and innovation.

Starting today, members of the African tech community can use this Space for free. In addition to housing Google Launchpad Accelerator Africa, the Space will support developer meetups, training, experts office hours, Women in tech events, Startup programs (outside of Launchpad), partner events that support the wider entrepreneur and developer ecosystem, as well as Google initiatives for empowering people through digital skills training.
Since the Launchpad Accelerator Africa programme kicked off in 2018, we have worked with 47 startups from 17 African countries: Algeria, Botswana, Cameroon, Côte D’Ivoire, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, Tunisia, Uganda, and Zimbabwe. They have collectively raised millions of dollars in investment, and created hundreds of jobs.

Continued support for Africa’s startups and developers The launch of this space demonstrates our continued commitment to the Sub-Saharan African startup and developer ecosystems. As part of our support for developers we run programs such as Google Developer Groups and Women Techmakers, providing training and support for developers aligned with real-life job competency requirements. Community groups engage in activities like Study Jams - study groups for developers.

There are 173 active Google Developer Groups (GDGs) in Africa, which provide an opportunity for developers to meet other developers with similar interests at GDG meetup events, which include talks on a wide range of technical topics and hands-on workshops. GDGs also host DevFests - community-led developer events focused on community building and learning about Google’s technologies. Last year, we saw more than 100 DevFest events held across Africa. The continent is also home to 135 Developer Student Clubs (DSCs) - university-based community groups for students interested in Google developer technologies. Our Women Techmakers initiative, which enables women in technology to thrive by providing visibility, community and resources, has over 150 chapters across 25 countries in Africa.

Africa’s startup ecosystem is growing and we’re looking forward to working with startups and other players in the ecosystem from across the continent at the Space.

Posted by Onajite Emerhor, Head of Operations Launchpad Accelerator Africa

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Accompagner la croissance des start-up et des développeurs : Google ouvre son Espace développeurs en Afrique

Aujourd’hui, nous avons inauguré notre premier Google Developers Space sur le continent africain, à Lagos, au Nigeria. Le Google Developers Space est un centre d’excellence pour les développeurs, les entrepreneurs et les start-up basés en Afrique. Il abritera également le Google Launchpad Accelerator Africa.

Respecter notre engagement En 2017, Sundar Pichai, notre PDG, s’est engagé auprès des entrepreneurs africains à lancer le programme Launchpad Accelerator Africa et à créer un espace pour accueillir ces initiatives au Nigeria. Le Google Developers Space est la concrétisation de cet engagement et constituera un centre d’excellence où les entrepreneurs, les développeurs, les mentors, les sociétés de capital-risque et les investisseurs pourront se rencontrer et collaborer.
Pour bien prendre en compte les besoins de l’écosystème technologique africain, nous nous sommes associés à Impact Hub et nous sommes installés à la même adresse pour donner vie à l’Espace. Par ailleurs, nous avons travaillé avec Spacefinish, une entreprise locale, pour concevoir et créer un environnement propice à la collaboration et à l’innovation.

Dès aujourd’hui, les membres de l’écosystème technologique africain peuvent utiliser gratuitement cet espace véritablement dédié aux professionnels de ce continent. En plus d’abriter le Google Launchpad Accelerator Africa, l’espace accueillera les rencontres de développeurs, des sessions de formation, les consultations par les experts, les événements « Women in tech », les programmes pour start-up (en dehors de Launchpad), les événements organisés par les partenaires qui apportent leur soutien à l’écosystème plus large des entrepreneurs et des développeurs, ainsi qu'aux initiatives de Google destinées à favoriser l’autonomisation des personnes par la formation aux compétences numériques.

Depuis le lancement du programme Launchpad Accelerator Africa en 2018, nous avons travaillé avec 47 start-ups de 17 pays africains : Afrique du Sud, Algérie, Botswana, Cameroun, Côte d’Ivoire, Égypte, Éthiopie, Ghana, Kenya, Maroc, Nigeria, Ouganda, Rwanda, Sénégal, Tanzanie, Tunisie et Zimbabwe. Collectivement ils ont recueilli des millions de dollars d’investissements et créé des centaines d’emplois.

Un soutien sans faille aux start-up et aux développeurs africains L’inauguration de cet espace est une autre façon pour nous de montrer notre engagement permanent en faveur des écosystèmes des start-up et des développeurs basés en Afrique subsaharienne. Dans le cadre du soutien que nous apportons aux développeurs, nous menons des programmes tels que les groupes de développeurs Google et les Women Techmakers, en proposant aux développeurs de la formation et un accompagnement en phase avec les exigences du monde professionnel en matière de compétences. Des groupes communautaires mettent en place des activités comme Study Jams- des groupes de travail animés par des développeurs.

Il existe 173 Google Developer Groups (GDG - Groupes de développeurs Google) actifs en Afrique, qui offrent aux développeurs l'opportunité d'échanger avec des professionnels ayant des centres d'intérêts proches, à l'occasion des rencontres des GDG qui permettent d'aborder toute sorte de sujets techniques et de participer à des ateliers pratiques. Les GDG organisent également des DevFests, des événements destinés aux développeurs, menés par et pour la communauté et axés sur l’apprentissage des technologies Google. Rien que l’année dernière, plus de 100 événements DevFest ont été organisés à travers l’Afrique. Le continent compte également 135 clubs d’étudiants développeurs (DSC) - des groupes universitaires destinés aux étudiants intéressés par les technologies de développement Google. Notre initiative « Women Techmakers », qui permet aux femmes intéressées par les technologies de réussir en leur offrant une visibilité, une communauté et des ressources, compte plus de 150 sections réparties dans 25 pays d’Afrique.

L’écosystème des start-up africaines connaît actuellement un véritable essor. La création de cet espace est notre façon de l’accompagner et d’y participer. Nous nous réjouissons à la perspective de travailler avec des start-up et d’autres acteurs de cet écosystème de tout le continent dans le cadre de cet Espace.
Publié par : Onajite Emerhor, responsable des opérations du programme Launchpad Accelerator Africa

Africa Blog

A Global Journalism Emergency Relief Fund for local news

Pray #WithMe: Connect online with your faith community

YouTube Music Lands in Naija!

Funding 21 news projects in the Middle East, Africa and Turkey

Celebrate the 30th anniversary of Nelson Mandela’s release from prison on Google Arts & Culture

A Safer Internet For Africa

Announcing our first developer Space in Africa

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