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ALX, Anthropic, and the Government of Rwanda launch landmark Artificial Intelligence (AI) learning initiative

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AI

Partnership deploys “Chidi,” an AI-powered learning companion, positioning Africa at the centre of global tech innovation

KIGALI, Rwanda, November 18, 2025/APO Group/ –ALX (http://www.ALXAfrica.com/), Anthropic, and the Government of Rwanda have announced a landmark partnership to enhance learning and teaching across Africa through artificial intelligence. The initiative introduces “Chidi” – an AI-powered learning companion built on Anthropic’s Claude model, designed to guide both learners and educators through critical thinking and problem-solving.

“This collaboration marks a bold step in redefining how African talent learns, works, and leads in the age of AI,” says Fred Swaniker, Founder and CEO of ALX. “Through our partnership with Anthropic and the Government of Rwanda, we are ensuring that Africa’s youth are not just consumers of AI, but creators, shaping the innovations that will define the global economy.”

This partnership represents one of the largest AI-enhanced education deployments on the continent, uniting ALX’s commitment to empowering African talent, Anthropic’s vision for accessible and responsible AI, and Rwanda’s Vision 2050 to build an AI-ready workforce and accelerate digital transformation across Rwanda.

A dual commitment: Empowering both learners and educators

Following the successful Phase 1 rollout of Chidi to ALX learners across Africa, where more than 1,100 conversations and 4,000 chats were recorded within just two days, the next phase of the partnership extends this transformative technology to Rwanda’s public education system in a groundbreaking Phase 2 pilot. Chidi, which acts as a personalised tutor, helps to guide users through questions designed to spark curiosity and critical thinking rather than providing direct answers. For teachers, it becomes a partner in lesson design and student engagement. For learners, it represents access to round-the-clock, world-class guidance that nurtures creativity and confidence.

In this Phase 2 pilot, in addition to exploring Chidi in higher learning institutions, up to 2,000 educators across Rwanda, along with a select group of civil servants, will take part in ALX’s AI Career Essentials program, gaining hands-on experience in using generative AI tools like Anthropic’s Claude Large Language Model to elevate how they teach, plan lessons, and improve productivity in their day-to-day work.

Graduates of this pilot will receive a year of access to Claude Tools, such as Claude Pro for individuals and Claude Code for developer teams in government, while exploring Claude for Education with university educators, ensuring that this new literacy in AI continues to shape classrooms and the workplace long after the program ends.

A joint ALX, Anthropic, and Government of Rwanda working group will document insights from the pilot to inform Rwanda’s national AI policy in education and develop future innovations such as Chidi for Schools and localised African language models. This initiative is not only about introducing technology into classrooms but about equipping educators and students to learn, teach, and imagine at the pace of their ambition, setting a new standard for inclusive AI-powered learning across Africa.

A partnership shaping the future of learning in Africa

This three-way collaboration unites visionary forces redefining the future of technology and education.

By partnering with ALX and the Rwandan government, we’re ensuring Claude’s capabilities strengthen education safely and responsibly across several countries in Africa

ALX, Africa’s fastest-growing tech talent accelerator, connects hundreds of thousands of young Africans to transformative opportunities, equipping them with the skills to thrive in the global economy. ALX will contribute the training, delivery, and implementation infrastructure, ensuring smooth rollout and educator enablement.

“This is not just about bringing technology to Africa; it’s about reimagining how learning itself happens,” says Fred Swaniker, Founder and CEO of ALX. ​ “With Chidi, we’re shifting from traditional instruction to intelligent, inquiry-driven learning that builds critical thinking, creativity and problem-solving at scale. This is how Africa’s youth will generate the ideas and solutions that define sustainable development and shape a thriving future.”

Anthropic, a leading U.S.-based AI safety and research company, provides the Claude large language model and technical guidance on safe and responsible deployment. Anthropic will cover LLM/API-related costs to support the deployment of Chidi and Claude access. ​
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​“We believe transformative AI should be accessible to learners across the world, regardless of geography,” says Elizabeth Kelly, Head of Beneficial Deployments at Anthropic. “By partnering with ALX and the Rwandan government, we’re ensuring Claude’s capabilities strengthen education safely and responsibly across several countries in Africa.”

The Government of Rwanda (represented through the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of ICT), a continental leader in digital transformation, is providing the policy infrastructure, access to schools and institutional leadership needed to scale AI for learning and governance, but will not bear any financial commitments under this partnership.

Joseph Nsengimana, Minister of Education for Rwanda, says: “Rwanda, and Africa’s, ambition is to place safe AI in the hands of educators so students gain timely, future-ready skills. Chidi is designed to free up teachers’ time in lesson preparation, personalised feedback, and to spark curiosity among students, which aligns with our Education Sector Strategic Plan (ESSP) priorities on teaching quality and digital literacy, and advances NST2 goals for human capital. We will assess this pilot based on measurable improvements and scale what proves effective, with safeguards for privacy and academic integrity.”

“Rwanda’s Vision 2050 places youth and technology at the core of national progress, and our goal is to build a workforce equipped for the opportunities of the 21st century,” says Paula Ingabire, Minister of ICT & Innovation in Rwanda. “This collaboration allows us to explore innovative AI tools that could enhance learning, support educators, and strengthen developer capabilities. By beginning with capacity building for civil servants, we ensure our workforce gains the foundational skills to engage with emerging technologies responsibly.”

Together, these partners are ensuring that Africa’s youth have the same AI-powered learning advantages as their peers in Silicon Valley, Beijing, or London. ​ They are creating a new blueprint for AI-enabled education, developed in Africa and shared globally, demonstrating how global technology, African innovation, and public-sector leadership can deliver scalable, ethical, and transformative learning solutions. ​ For future expansion, the partners will jointly explore opportunities to enable scaling up across Rwanda and other African markets.

A defining moment for Africa’s digital transformation

By combining ALX’s learning innovation, Anthropic’s AI technology, and Rwanda’s progressive governance, this initiative provides a direct pathway from ambition to achievement.

As Chidi scales across the continent, with Rwanda serving as the launch hub and model for future deployments, its impact extends well beyond individual success. It repositions Africa as a source of world-class tech talent, empowering educators and learners with the tools to learn, teach, and innovate and solidifying the continent’s place at the forefront of the global digital revolution.

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“This collaboration marks a bold step in redefining how African talent learns, works, and leads in the age of AI,” says Fred Swaniker, Founder and CEO of ALX. “Through our partnership with Anthropic and the Government of Rwanda, we are ensuring that Africa’s youth are not just consumers of AI, but creators, shaping the innovations that will define the global economy.”

 

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of ALX.

Business

Liquid C2 launches Africa’s first Google Cloud-powered Experience Centre to accelerate Artificial Intelligence (AI) adoption

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Liquid C2

The Partner Experience Centre provides the partner and reseller ecosystem in Africa with direct access to enterprise-grade technologies such as Gemini Enterprise, and the “Gemini Playspace” for rapid AI experimentation

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, April 8, 2026/APO Group/ –Liquid C2, a business of Cassava Technologies, a global technology leader, has launched Africa’s first Partner Experience Centre powered by Google Cloud in Johannesburg, South Africa. The state-of-the-art facility is designed to empower partners and resellers to move beyond traditional distribution, providing the immersive, hands-on environment needed to architect and deploy cloud and AI solutions tailored specifically to African market needs.

 

Through the Centre, partners will be onboarded to a structured journey that guides them in securing official Google Cloud accreditation and certification. Beyond technical training provided by both Liquid C2 and Google, the centre will also serve as a collaborative hub, allowing them to work alongside specialist engineers to architect bespoke solutions. Once finalised, these solutions will be brought to market through Liquid’s robust distribution network. This expansion not only opens new commercial avenues for partners but also acts as a catalyst for high-value job creation and the rapid maturation of Africa’s technology ecosystem.

The Partner Experience Centre provides the partner and reseller ecosystem in Africa with direct access to enterprise-grade technologies such as Gemini Enterprise, and the “Gemini Playspace” for rapid AI experimentation. It also provides specialist expertise to prototype, test, and scale digital solutions in real-world environments. The centre is a testament to Liquid C2’s commitment to strengthening its role within the partner ecosystem in Africa, as it supports partners in overcoming infrastructure constraints, skills gaps, and complexity barriers that often slow digital transformation efforts across the continent.

As demand for advanced digital capabilities grows, the Partner Experience Centre serves as an innovation hub where enterprises, startups, academic institutions, developers, and public-sector stakeholders can co-create locally-relevant solutions, fostering a sense of shared progress and community across Africa.

The Partner Experience Centre powered by Google Cloud creates a practical environment where organisations can explore, test, and scale solutions that deliver real business value

The facility also provides industry-specific platforms tailored to sectors including financial services, healthcare, and retail. These platforms demonstrate how AI-enabled solutions can reduce operational risk, improve efficiency, enhance customer engagement, and unlock new growth opportunities across African markets.

“At Cassava Technologies, we believe the future of Africa’s digital transformation will be shaped through strong ecosystems that combine global innovation with local infrastructure and expertise,” said Ziaad Suleman, Senior Vice President, Cassava Technologies and CEO, South Africa & Botswana. “The Partner Experience Centre powered by Google Cloud creates a practical environment where organisations can explore, test, and scale solutions that deliver real business value. By combining our infrastructure, expertise, and continental reach with Google Cloud’s advanced technologies, we are helping to democratise access to AI and cloud capabilities for enterprises across Africa.”

“This is a pivotal moment in our commitment to Africa’s digital future,” said Tara Brady, President, Google Cloud EMEA. “The Partner Experience Centre is a testament to our belief in the power of a strong partner ecosystem. By combining our advanced AI capabilities, including our Gemini models, with Liquid C2’s localised expertise, we are not just building a facility; we are building a hub for innovation that will empower businesses, create jobs, and deliver the benefits of digital transformation to every corner of the continent.”

The collaboration will focus on three core pillars of transformation:

  • Accelerated Partner Enablement: The centre acts as a dedicated Proof-of-Concept (PoC) hub designed to dismantle historical market barriers. It provides localised training, hands-on technology interaction, and business support, leveraging Liquid’s capabilities to offer local currency billing and credit to manage financial complexity for resellers.
  • AI and Technology Innovation: A primary focus is empowering partners to build and deploy advanced AI solutions. The facility features a dedicated “Gemini Playspace & AI Solutions” to certify technical staff, alongside integrated “Solutions Pods” where partners can demonstrate complete technology stacks to win complex enterprise bids.
  • Economic Growth and Job Creation: The partnership is a direct investment in Africa’s tech workforce. By strategically broadening the partner network, the initiative will foster deep, localised expertise and act as a catalyst for new economic opportunities, creating a significant ripple effect of job creation for certified engineers and other tech professionals across the continent.

As a business of Cassava Technologies, Liquid C2 has always been at the forefront of bringing cutting-edge digital technologies to African businesses, both directly and through its partner ecosystem. This first-of-its-kind Partner Experience Centre is yet another milestone that reflects the company’s commitment to partnerships that leverage its continental footprint to serve a broader base of organisations.

Aligned with this, Cassava continues to expand digital inclusion across Africa through its integrated portfolio of connectivity, cloud, cyber security, and digital solutions, ensuring that a broad spectrum of organisations, regardless of size or sector, can access and benefit from advanced technologies, thereby enabling more inclusive participation in Africa’s digital economy.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Liquid Intelligent Technologies.

 

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Hospitality

Africa’s fastest-growing hotel group CityBlue Hotels selects Inntelo AI to deploy Artificial Intelligence (AI)-native operations across portfolio

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CityBlue Hotels

The partnership also includes the development of educational programmes to advance skills, innovation, and AI adoption across Africa’s hospitality industry

NAIROBI, Kenya, April 1, 2026/APO Group/ –CityBlue Hotels, one of Africa’s fastest-growing hotel groups, has selected UK-based platform Inntelo AI to deploy AI-native concierge agents across its portfolio, marking a significant step in the group’s strategy to lead the next phase of hospitality innovation across the continent. The announcement will be unveiled at the Future Hospitality Summit Africa (www.FutureHospitality.com) taking place in Nairobi on 31 March 2026.

The rollout represents one of the first scaled implementations of AI-native concierge agents in African hospitality, positioning CityBlue Hotels at the forefront of AI-driven transformation in the sector.

Operating across Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and expected to open soon in Ghana, Uganda and Zambia, with additional strategic tie-ups in South Africa and Mozambique, CityBlue Hotels’ partnership with Inntelo AI comes amid continued growth in Africa’s tourism sector, supported by rising intra-African travel and increasing global demand for new destinations.

As part of its broader digital strategy, CityBlue Hotels will deploy Inntelo AI’s platform to embed AI directly into hotel operations. The AI-native system coordinates guest interactions and service workflows in real time, enabling faster response times, improved task prioritisation, and consistent service delivery at scale, while allowing teams to focus on high-value, in-person guest engagement.

This partnership allows us to embed AI at the core of how we operate—supporting our teams in real time, reducing friction, and elevating the guest experience across every property

The partnership also includes the development of educational programmes to advance skills, innovation, and AI adoption across Africa’s hospitality industry.

Jameel Verjee, said:

“CityBlue has always been focused on where our markets are going. As we scale, AI-native operations become essential to delivering consistency, speed, and quality across multiple geographies.

“This partnership allows us to embed AI at the core of how we operate—supporting our teams in real time, reducing friction, and elevating the guest experience across every property. Just as importantly, we are shaping how AI is applied within an African context.”

Asif Alidina, added:

“CityBlue Hotels is exactly the kind of operator that defines where the industry is heading. Their focus on AI-native operations and scalable systems makes them a natural partner.

“Together, we are deploying technology that is purpose-built for hospitality—combining conversational and agentic AI to support teams, enhance guest experiences, and set a new standard for modern hotel operations in Africa.”

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Future Hospitality Summit Africa (FHS Africa).

 

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Business

Wingu Africa Launches Wingu Cloud Exchange in Ethiopia

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Wingu Africa

Secure, compliant, and scalable cloud services built for East Africa

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia, March 31, 2026/APO Group/ –Wingu Africa (www.Wingu.Africa), the pioneering specialist provider of carrier-neutral, Tier III-standard data centres in East Africa, has announced the launch of the Wingu Cloud Exchange (WCX), a new private cloud platform tailored specifically for East African businesses and now available in Ethiopia.

With WCX, Ethiopian organisations can keep their data securely within the country, ensuring compliance with local regulations and protecting sensitive information. For businesses, this enables faster access to services, improved operational efficiency, and reliable support through locally optimised infrastructure.

WCX is a game-changer for African businesses. We are delivering secure, compliant, and scalable cloud solutions built specifically for local needs

Demos Kyriacou, Deputy CEO, COO and Co-founder of Wingu Africa, said, “WCX is a game-changer for African businesses. We are delivering secure, compliant, and scalable cloud solutions built specifically for local needs. With this platform, we are setting a new standard for digital infrastructure in the region and accelerating Ethiopia’s transformation into a digitally enabled economy.”

WCX brings together essential cloud services such as computing, storage, container management, and security, making advanced technology accessible to companies of all sizes. Enterprises can scale operations on demand, pay predictable prices in local currency, and avoid the uncertainties of foreign exchange or hidden fees. This gives businesses clarity in planning and the freedom to grow without constraints.

The platform offers a full range of services, including Wingu Compute, Wingu Kubernetes, Wingu Drive, and Wingu Security, enabling businesses to deploy, manage, and secure applications with confidence. The platform also integrates seamlessly with existing on-premises systems and complements global providers such as Azure and AWS, offering customers flexible hybrid options tailored to their operational requirements.

The launch of WCX highlights the company’s commitment to advancing Ethiopia’s digital transformation and strengthening the region’s cloud infrastructure. By delivering locally relevant solutions, Wingu Africa supports sustainable growth and inclusive development, while addressing customer demand for simplicity, reliability, and predictability in cloud adoption.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Wingu Africa.

 

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