Telkom has pledged R100 million to establish the Telkom AI Institute, a new platform that will provide artificial intelligence and digital skills training to South Africans, with a focus on young people, small businesses and underserved communities.
The commitment was announced on Wednesday in Geneva, Switzerland, during the International Telecommunication Union’s (ITU) Partner2Connect Digital Coalition at the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) Forum 2026 High-Level Week, where Telkom joined a limited number of African companies making new global digital development commitments.
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The investment forms part of the company’s Vision 2030 strategy to expand its role beyond telecommunications infrastructure and help prepare the country’s workforce for an AI-driven economy.
The pledge comes as the ITU announced that Partner2Connect has surpassed $82 billionn (about R1.34 trillion) in commitments aimed at expanding digital connectivity and development worldwide.
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According to Telkom, the AI institute will deliver practical, job-ready training intended to help South Africans to participate in the digital economy.
Telkom Group CEO Serame Taukobong says, “Connectivity without capability only gets South Africa halfway there.”
He added by saying: “We have spent years building the networks that connect this country. The Telkom AI Institute is our commitment to ensuring that connectivity translates into skills, jobs and opportunity.”
Since its launch in 2021, Partner2Connect has secured more than 1 000 pledges from 149 countries, with projects under way in more than 190 countries. Digital infrastructure represents the largest share of commitments globally, while Africa and Asia-Pacific lead implementation.
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Director of the ITU’s Telecommunication Development Bureau Cosmas Luckyson Zavazava says, “Reaching $82 billion in Partner2Connect pledges is a defining milestone in our journey toward universal digital development…”
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He says the priority is now to convert commitments into projects that deliver measurable results.
The ITU estimates that achieving universal, meaningful connectivity by 2030 will require between $2.6 trillion and $2.8 trillion globally.
Telkom’s commitment will be tracked through the Partner2Connect platform alongside those of other participating organisations.
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