Meta is bringing its AI Academy to South Africa, offering free training to developers and students alongside a startup competition that will award two local businesses more than R82,000 each.
The Facebook and Instagram parent company has partnered with the Department of Communications and Digital Technologies (DCDT) to launch the programme, which aims to get more South Africans building applications using Meta’s AI models.
Announced on 19 October, AI Academy South Africa has two components: an eight-week online masterclass and a competition for early-stage AI startups. Both are free, although applications for the competition closed on 20 October, just a day after the announcement.
The masterclass is still accepting enrolments until January 2027. It’s open to students, developers and professionals, with virtual, instructor-led sessions covering AI fundamentals, generative AI, prompt engineering and application development using Meta’s technology.
Meta hasn’t disclosed how many participants it’ll accept, whether applicants need prior programming experience or whether completing the course comes with any formal certification.
The startup competition, called the AI Academy Pitchathon, is aimed at businesses already using Meta’s AI technologies to develop products. Entrants needed a working prototype or a clear product direction, with ten startups set to pitch before a review panel in Johannesburg on 30 October.
Two winners will each receive R82,293.15 in equity-free funding, which means they won’t have to give up a stake in their businesses. They’ll also get an all-expenses-paid trip to Meta’s AI Summit in Istanbul on 24 and 25 November, where they’ll meet founders and other people working in the industry across Africa, the Middle East and Türkiye.
South Africa isn’t the first African market to get the programme. Meta launched a similar AI Academy in Kenya in partnership with local training company This Is Digital.
That competition has already produced two winners, Neural Labs Africa and Me-Nasoma, which each received US$5,000 in equity-free funding and Meta advertising credits. Their products were selected from ten finalists working across sectors including healthcare, education, retail and financial services.
Meta’s expansion into South Africa follows a year in which AI companies have increasingly turned their attention to developers and the businesses building applications around their models.
Training programmes are one way to encourage adoption, especially in markets where developers may have limited access to paid courses or development resources. Meta also stands to benefit if participants continue using its technology after the programme ends.
South Africa already has an established developer community and relatively high AI adoption compared with the rest of the continent. According to Microsoft’s Global AI Diffusion report, 23.1% of the country’s working-age population used generative AI in the first quarter of 2026, placing it first in Africa but 46th out of 147 economies globally.
That figure remains well below the country’s internet penetration rate of 79.6%. The Microsoft research also measures the use of AI tools, which doesn’t necessarily tell us how many South Africans have the skills to develop applications with them.
“South Africa is home to incredible talent, and through the AI Academy we are equipping South Africans with the skills, tools and opportunities to build solutions that create real economic value,” said Thabo Makenete, Meta’s Head of Public Policy for Southern Africa.
For the DCDT, the partnership fits into the government’s efforts to develop local technical skills and encourage more South Africans to create their own AI products.
Craig Meyer, the department’s Acting Chief Director for Emerging Technologies and Digital Innovation, said the programme would support businesses and developers working on locally relevant AI applications.
Meta hasn’t said whether the academy will continue beyond this first intake or expand to other South African cities. For now, interested participants can register for the eight-week masterclass, with enrolment open until January 2027.
This version treats the announcement as a technology and startup news story rather than a government skills-development press release. The Kenya comparison provides context about what Meta has already done elsewhere, while the South African adoption figures help explain the market it’s entering.