Author Archives: Google Africa Blog

New safety and digital wellbeing options for younger people on YouTube and YouTube Kids

Today, we're announcing additional protections for people under 18 on YouTube and YouTube Kids.




Younger people use YouTube every day to discover new interests, learn about the world, and connect with the world through online video. But it's essential that as they do, they have the options and safeguards to create the experience that's right for them.

Over the years, we’ve made investments to protect kids and families, such as launching a dedicated kids app, introducing new data practices for children’s content, providing more age-appropriate experiences, and giving families more choice with supervised accounts. Today, we're announcing additional protections for people under 18 on YouTube and YouTube Kids.

 


Updating default privacy settings for younger people
In the coming weeks, we’ll gradually start adjusting the default upload setting to the most private option available for users ages 13-17 on YouTube. With private uploads, content can only be seen by the user and whomever they choose. We want to help younger users make informed decisions about their online footprint and digital privacy, including encouraging them to make an intentional choice if they’d like to make their content public. If the user would like to make their content public, they can change the default upload visibility setting and we’ll provide reminders indicating who can see their video.
 
Making digital wellbeing features more prominent
We want to give younger users the tools they need to understand their use of technology. In addition to our suite of digital well-being tools, we’ll be turning take a break and bedtime reminders on by default for all users ages 13-17 on YouTube. We’ll also be turning autoplay off by default for these users. If a user decides these aren’t the right digital well-being features for them, they can change their default settings.


We’ll also be adding an autoplay option on YouTube Kids and turning autoplay off by default in the app. Whether you’re driving on a roadtrip with your kids or listening to nursery rhymes together while cooking dinner, we want to empower parents to be able to choose an autoplay setting that’s right for their family. In the coming months, we’ll also be launching additional parental controls in the YouTube Kids app, including the ability for a parent to choose a “locked” default autoplay setting.

Providing safeguards and education about commercial content
We’re also making changes to how we treat commercial content for kids and families. We've never allowed paid product placements in YouTube Kids, our destination for younger kids. In the coming weeks, we’ll also begin to remove overly commercial content from YouTube Kids, such as a video that only focuses on product packaging or directly encourages children to spend money.



On YouTube, we recently updated the disclosures that appear on “made for kids” content or supervised accounts on YouTube when a creator identifies that their video contains paid promotions. Developed in collaboration with child development experts, the disclosures appear in easy-to-understand text and link to a kid-friendly animated video, which provides additional information on paid product placements. We’ve also provided a parent guide which suggests ways for parents to help children understand content they may see on YouTube, including paid product promotions.

   


We’re introducing these new safety and digital wellbeing options as part of our ongoing efforts to create age-appropriate experiences for young people on YouTube and YouTube Kids. With young people watching online videos to broaden their horizons and expand their learning experiences, we're invested in being the best version of YouTube and YouTube Kids we can be. Young people are our future, and we want to empower them the best we can.



Posted by James Beser, Director of Product Management, Kids and Family

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Giving kids and teens a safer experience online

Cross-posted from the Keyword blog

We're committed to building products that are secure by default, private by design, and that put people in control. And while our policies don’t allow kids under 13 to create a standard Google account, we’ve worked hard to design enriching product experiences specifically for them, teens, and families. Through Family Link, we allow parents to set up supervised accounts for their children, set screen time limits, and more. Our Be Internet Awesome digital literacy program helps kids learn how to be safe and engaged digital citizens; and our dedicated YouTube Kids app, Kids Space and teacher approved apps in Play offer experiences that are customized for younger audiences.



Technology has helped kids and teens during the pandemic stay in school through lockdowns and maintain connections with family and friends. As kids and teens spend more time online, parents, educators, child safety and privacy experts, and policy makers are rightly concerned about how to keep them safe. We engage with these groups regularly, and share these concerns.

Some countries are implementing regulations in this area, and as we comply with these regulations, we’re looking at ways to develop consistent product experiences and user controls for kids and teens globally. Today, we’re announcing a variety of new policies and updates:




Giving minors more control over their digital footprint
While we already provide a range of removal options for people using Google Search, children are at particular risk when it comes to controlling their imagery on the internet. In the coming weeks, we’ll introduce a new policy that enables anyone under the age of 18, or their parent or guardian, to request the removal of their images from Google Image results. Of course, removing an image from Search doesn’t remove it from the web, but we believe this change will help give young people more control of their images online.


Tailoring product experiences for kids and teens
Some of our most popular products help kids and teens explore their interests, learn more about the world, and connect with friends. We’re committed to constantly making these experiences safer for them. That’s why in the coming weeks and months we're going to make a number of changes to Google Accounts for people under 18:
  • YouTube: We’re going to change the default upload setting to the most private option available for teens ages 13-17. In addition we’ll more prominently surface digital wellbeing features, and provide safeguards and education about commercial content. Learn more about these changes here.
  • Search: We have a range of systems, tools, and policies that are designed to help people discover content from across the web while not surprising them with mature content they haven’t searched for. One of the protections we offer is SafeSearch, which helps filter out explicit results when enabled and is already on by default for all signed-in users under 13 who have accounts managed by Family Link. In the coming months, we’ll turn SafeSearch on for existing users under 18 and make this the default setting for teens setting up new accounts.
  • Assistant: We’re always working to prevent mature content from surfacing during a child’s experience with Google Assistant on shared devices, and in the coming months we’ll be introducing new default protections. For example, we will apply our SafeSearch technology to the web browser on smart displays.
  • Location History: Location History is a Google account setting that helps make our products more useful. It's already off by default for all accounts, and children with supervised accounts don’t have the option of turning Location History on. Taking this a step further, we’ll soon extend this to users under the age of 18 globally, meaning that Location History will remain off (without the option to turn it on).
  • Play: Building on efforts like content ratings, and our "Teacher-approved apps" for quality kids content, we're launching a new safety section that will let parents know which apps follow our Families policies. Apps will be required to disclose how they use the data they collect in greater detail, making it easier for parents to decide if the app is right for their child before they download it.
  • Google Workspace for Education: As we recently announced, we’re making it much easier for administrators to tailor experiences for their users based on age (such as restricting student activity on YouTube). And to make web browsing safer, K-12 institutions will have SafeSearch technology enabled by default, while switching to Guest Mode and Incognito Mode for web browsing will be turned off by default.


New advertising changes
We’ll be expanding safeguards to prevent age-sensitive ad categories from being shown to teens, and we will block ad targeting based on the age, gender, or interests of people under 18. We’ll start rolling out these updates across our products globally over the coming months. Our goal is to ensure we’re providing additional protections and delivering age-appropriate experiences for ads on Google.


New digital wellbeing tools
In Family Link, parents can set screen time limits and reminders for their kids’ supervised devices. And, on Assistant-enabled smart devices, we give parents control through Digital Wellbeing tools available in the Google Home app. In the coming months, we’ll roll out new Digital Wellbeing filters that allow people to block news, podcasts, and access to webpages on Assistant-enabled smart devices.

On YouTube, we’ll turn on take a break and bedtime reminders and turn off autoplay for users under 18. And, on YouTube Kids we’ll add an autoplay option and turn it off by default to empower parents to make the right choice for their families.
 
Improving how we communicate our data practices to kids and teens
Data plays an important role in making our products functional and helpful. It’s our job to make it easy for kids and teens to understand what data is being collected, why, and how it is used. Based on research, we’re developing engaging, easy-to-understand materials for young people and their parents to help them better understand our data practices. These resources will begin to roll out globally in the coming months.

Transparency Resources: The Family Link Privacy Guide for Children and Teens and the Teen Privacy Guide


Ongoing work and engagement
We regularly engage with kids and teens, parents, governments, industry leaders, and experts in the fields of privacy, child safety, wellbeing and education to design better, safer products for kids and teens. Having an accurate age for a user can be an important element in providing experiences tailored to their needs. Yet, knowing the accurate age of our users across multiple products and surfaces, while at the same time respecting their privacy and ensuring that our services remain accessible, is a complex challenge. It will require input from regulators, lawmakers, industry bodies, technology providers, and others to address it – and to ensure that we all build a safer internet for kids.



Posted by Mindy Brooks, General Manager, Kids and Families

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Meet the 22 news innovators selected from the 2021 GNI Middle East, Turkey and Africa challenge


During a 14-year career as a journalist, Dina Aboughazala reported on issues impacting people's lives across the Middle East. But she found that many existing news services concentrated on what was happening in big cities, while lesser-known areas were often ignored. To highlight undiscovered voices with interesting stories to tell, last year Aboughazala started the journalism platform Egab.


Egab, which connects journalists from the Middle East and Africa to international media outlets, is one of 22 successful recipients for the Google News Initiative’s second Middle East, Turkey and Africa Innovation Challenge.


It will use the funding to build a platform for contributions. “This means we can empower more local journalists across the Middle East and Africa to tell diverse stories about their communities to global audiences: stories that defy stereotypes, represent our part of the world more fairly and engage more audiences,” Aboughazala says. “We will now be able to do that at a larger scale through the online platform we will be building.”


We launched an open call for applications in February and received 329 applications from 35 countries. A rigorous review, a round of interviews and a final jury selection process followed.



Today, we’re announcing $2.1 million in funding to projects and initiatives in 14 different countries. Recipients include startups and online-only media platforms alongside some of the bigger names in news across the region, and cover topics ranging from audience development to virtual reality storytelling. We placed an emphasis on projects that reflect and demonstrate a commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion in the news industry.
Here are just a few of the recipients (you can find the full list on our website):
  • Messenger Reader Revenue: The Standard Group in Kenya is going to integrate bots and Artificial Intelligence (AI) onto a WhatsApp number so that its audience can prompt and interact with it to access news. Via a subscription, the uniquely curated content will feature categories such as farming and investigations.
  • The Citizen Bulletin: Zimbabwe Centre for Media and Information Literacy is building a loyal audience around hyperlocal journalism. The project is an open-source WhatsApp bot for news distribution and audience engagement.
  • Habari RDC: Habari Streaming is a mobile application in the Democratic Republic of Congo that offers subscriptions to videos and podcasts. In a plan to diversify their source of income, Habari RDC created a user experience platform that provides paid content to its users.
  • 263Chat: Radio is the most accessible medium for Zimbabweans. To reach new audiences, 263Chat has established a podcast network to provide an alternative media source.Eco-Nai+: Nigeria’s first digital geo-journalism platform providing access to interactive geo-data through web and mobile applications. 
  • Eco-Nai+:  developed by Richmond Hill Media Limited (Ripples Nigeria), will host environmental data such as on drought, rainfall and erosion, while carefully tracking and making changes to environmental phenomena to help track climate change.


We’ll be following their progress alongside the previous recipients who are already impacting the news ecosystem with initiatives that increase reader engagement and make for a more sustainable future of news.


Posted by Sarah Hartley, Innovation Challenges program manager

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YouTube Shorts arrives in Sub Saharan Africa

Last year, we announced that we are building YouTube Shorts, a short-form video experience for anyone who wants to create short, catchy videos using nothing but their mobile phones. Since then, we’ve expanded our beta to 26 more countries and have already seen many creative, awesome Shorts from our community.


We’re excited to share today that YouTube Shorts is going global. We’re now rolling out our beta across more than 100 countries around the world where YouTube is available, including in countries in Sub Saharan Africa.
We plan to introduce more features as we continue to build Shorts alongside creators and artists. Here’s an update on what to expect from YouTube Shorts as it rolls out in your country.




Unlocking a new playground of creativity
Creation is at the core of short-form video, and we want to make it easy and fun to create Shorts. While short form videos were already viewable in the platform, users around the world will be able to access for the first time Shorts’ creation tools which include a multi-segment camera to string multiple video clips together, the ability to record with music, control speed settings, and more.

Users will also have the ability to sample audio from videos across YouTube - which includes billions of videos worldwide - unlocking a new playground of creativity like never before. This means you can give your own creative spin on the content you love to watch on YouTube and help find it a new audience — whether it’s reacting to your favorite jokes, trying your hand at a creator’s latest recipe, or re-enacting comedic skits. Creators will be in control and will be able to opt out if they don’t want their long form video remixed.

In addition, and timed with the product’s international expansion, we’re bringing a new set of features to existing and new markets such as:

  • Add text to specific points in your video

  • Sample audio from other Shorts to remix into your own creation

  • Automatically add captions to your Short

  • Record up to 60 seconds with the Shorts camera

  • Add clips from your phone’s gallery to add to your recordings made with the Shorts camera

  • Add basic filters to color correct your Shorts, with more effects to come in the future


We’ve worked alongside our music partners to make sure artists and creators have a large library of songs to use in their Shorts. As we launch our beta internationally, we’ll have millions of songs (and growing) and music catalogs from over 250 labels and publishers around the world, including Universal Music Group’s labels and publishing companies, Sony Music Entertainment and Sony Music Publishing, Warner Music Group and Warner Chappell Music, Believe, Merlin, Because Music, Beggars, Kobalt and more.


Stay tuned for more creation tools rolling out in the future as we continue to build Shorts.



Delivering a seamless viewing experience across YouTube
We know that creation is only one part of the Shorts experience. We also want to help people find Shorts to enjoy and help creators get discovered. We’ve introduced a row on the YouTube homepage especially for Shorts, have launched a new watch experience that lets you easily swipe vertically from one video to the next, and have added a Shorts tab on mobile that makes it easier for you to watch Shorts with a single tap.


We’re also exploring how to deepen your connection with Shorts content, creators, and artists you’re most interested in by integrating it with the YouTube you already know and love. For instance, if you hear a snippet of a song on Shorts, you can easily find the full song, watch the music video, or learn more about the artist —all on YouTube. And it works both ways. Tap the create button right from a video to make your own Short with that audio, or check out how others are using it on Shorts.


As more people create and watch Shorts, we expect that our systems will get even better, improving our ability to help you discover new content, trends, and creators you’ll love.





Supporting mobile creators


YouTube has helped an entire generation of creators turn their creativity into businesses and become the next generation media companies. Over the last three years, we’ve paid more than $30 billion to creators, artists, and media companies.


Shorts is a new way to watch and create on YouTube, so we’ve been taking a fresh look at what it means to monetize Shorts and reward creators for their content. We are deeply committed to supporting the next generation of mobile creators with Shorts, and are actively working on what monetization options will look like in the future.


As our first step in this journey, we recently introduced the YouTube Shorts Fund, a $100M fund distributed over the course of 2021-2022. We’ll share additional details, including what countries the fund will be available in, as we get closer to launching the fund.


The Shorts beta will be available to everybody by Wednesday, July 14th. We know that it will take us time to get this right, but we can't wait for you to try Shorts and help us build a first-class short-form video experience right on YouTube.










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How we’re supporting 14 new AI for Social Good projects in Sub Saharan Africa

Over recent years, we have seen remarkable progress in AI’s ability to confront new problems and help solve old ones. Google has supported AI to advance African goals by establishing a Google AI research center in Accra, Ghana, supporting Google Africa Ph.D Fellowships and funding the development of an African Master’s in Machine Intelligence at the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences. We’ve seen this work have significant impact, from the strong progress of Google AI Impact Challenge grantee Makerere University’s air quality monitoring technology to Google Accra lab’s CropNet, an AI model for cassava disease detection.

In our continued commitment to advance AI to address pressing problems in Sub Saharan Africa, we are happy to announce fourteen new projects supported through our AI for Social Good program.


Our lab in India has worked towards advancing AI research that could make a positive social impact on traditionally underserved communities. We reported on the impact of six such projects in India in 2020. We are seeing tremendous potential to positively impact lives through collaborations between NGOs and Academics, supported and enabled by Google.


Working in partnership with Google.org and Google’s University Relations program, our goal is to help academics and nonprofits advance AI research that can improve people’s lives and environmental health in Sub Saharan Africa.


As part of the application process, Googlers ran meetings involving Academic and NGO teams to discuss potential projects. Following the workshop meetings, project teams made up of NGOs and academics submitted proposals which Google experts reviewed. The result is an extremely promising range of projects spanning 10 countries across Sub-Saharan Africa including Uganda, Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa and Ghana — focused on agriculture, conservation and public health.


Each project team will receive funding, technical contributions from Google, access to computational resources and other forms of regular support to make their projects successful. Academics in this program will be recognized as “Impact Scholars” for their contributions towards advancing research for social good.


In Agriculture, this includes AI research for pastoralists to manage their rangelands and pastures more efficiently to automating local market advisory for farmers. In Conservation, we are backing projects that research news ways towards animal poaching monitoring and predict the risk of deforestation. In Public Health, we are supporting research to improve vaccine allocation and improve maternal health programs through engagement on health information programs.


Congratulations to all the recipients of this round’s support. We’re looking forward to continuing to nurture the AI for Social Good community, bringing together experts from diverse backgrounds with the common goal of advancing AI to improve lives around the world.



Posted by: Milind Tambe (Director “AI for Social Good”, Google Research India)



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Supporting startups and SMEs in Africa

The Internet is playing a key role in Africa's economic transition, generating new possibilities and paving the path for economic and social growth. According to a 2020 report, Africa’s Internet economy is expected to contribute nearly $189 billion to the continent’s overall GDP by 2025, rising to $712 billion by 2050. At Google, we recognize the immense potential of the ecosystem's key players, and we remain steadfast in our commitment to developing targeted programs that assist them in accessing technical and financial assistance to support them in developing technologies that will benefit everyone.




Today we're excited to announce new initiatives that reaffirm our commitment to African startups, and extend our support for underserved communities. The programs, which include a $3 million USD Black Founders Fund for African startups and a $3 million USD Google.org grant to help low-income communities develop entrepreneurial skills and funding, will help Black founders grow their businesses not only by providing capital but also by providing access to the best of Google resources. We're also welcoming 15 companies from across the continent to the sixth class of our Google for Startups Accelerator: Africa program.




Google for Startups Black Founders Fund Africa
Between 2020 and 2021, more African companies completed more funding rounds than in any prior year, with transactions rising by almost 50%. While remarkable, this achievement is not translating to the same level of success for Black founders on the continent. Research shows that African founded startups find it difficult to secure financial support, and are faced with insufficient starting capital, a lack of angel investors and more.

Last year we announced the Google for Startups Black Founders Fund as part of a series of racial equity commitments to close the funding gap and empower Black entrepreneurs in the US, Brazil and Europe. Given the proven success of the Black Founders Fund around the world, we are expanding the program with the first $3M Black Founders Fund in Africa.

The Google for Startups Black Founders Fund Africa provides grants and technical assistance to early-stage startups led by black and diverse teams, or with a goal of advancing the Black community. This $3M non-dilutive fund will be allocated across a pipeline of 50 investable startups in Africa, with each firm receiving up to $100,000 in cash awards. Each selected company will also receive $220,000 in Google Cloud Credits and Ad Grants, as well as mentoring, technical and scaling assistance from the best of Google. The equity-free fund is available to entrepreneurs developing for Africa, on the continent.

We have partnered with the Co-Creation Hub, a Google for Startups partner and leading tech community hub with presence in Nigeria, Kenya and Rwanda, to distribute the funding to the 50 selected companies across Africa.

Applications are open from today until July 7th and eligible startups can visit goo.gle/BFFAfrica now to apply.




$3 million USD Google.org grant

Beyond the tech startup scene, there are entrepreneurs tackling day-to-day problems on a smaller, but equally significant scale. Our commitment in the region extends to these groups too. Studies indicate that entrepreneurship is essential for unlocking the essential economic benefits that Africa needs to prosper in a post-pandemic environment via employment and wealth development. However, not all entrepreneurs have the resources or know-how to run successful businesses, with women entrepreneurs being at a greater risk of having companies that are the most impacted by the epidemic.


Women entrepreneurs must have access to knowledge, skills, tools, and funding in order to reach their full potential.


Since 2017, Google.org through a $20M commitment has prioritized funding to nonprofit organizations that support access to economic opportunity for women in Sub-Saharan Africa. We recognize that, alongside financing, bespoke learning solutions and mentoring programs are required for accelerating women-led companies.


This is why Google.org is giving $3M to the Tony Elumelu Foundation, who through their annual entrepreneurship program will provide entrepreneurship training, mentorship, coaching and access to networks and key markets for at least 5000 women, as well as seed capital in the form of one-time cash grants to 500 African female informal business-owners in rural and low-income communities across Nigeria, South Africa, Kenya and select Francophone countries. We believe this will enable and prepare these women who otherwise wouldn’t have had the opportunity to navigate their independent businesses journey through the critical start-up and early growth phase.

 



Google for Startups Accelerator: Africa
We introduced the Google for Startups Accelerator: Africa program in 2018 to support the startup ecosystem, and have so far supported 67 startups from 17 African countries who have collectively raised $72M and created 2800 direct jobs.


This year, we selected 15 high-potential startups to join our most diverse class yet, with 47% women cofounders from across seven countries and seven sectors. These companies are using technology to build exciting products and solve some of Africa’s biggest challenges, with massive potential to contribute to the billion dollar Africa internet economy GDP. We are proud to introduce our sixth class of Google for Startups Accelerator: Africa to you today:
  1. Angaza Elimu (Kenya): an Education technology startup delivering quality and relevant education on demand using AI.
  2. Chekkit (Nigeria): A patented consumer intelligence, engagement & loyalty software-as-a-service for authentication, and tracking and tracing of consumer goods and pharmaceutical products.
  3. Emergency Response Africa (Nigeria): A healthcare technology startup connecting first responders and verified emergency-ready hospitals to emergency victims.
  4. Envisionit Deep AI (South Africa): RADIFY is the AI product developed by Envisionit Deep AI that detects and highlights abnormalities across medical diagnostic images.
  5. GeroCare (Nigeria): A cloud-based hospital that enables individuals to provide regular home medical care for their elderly loved ones.
  6. Khula! (South Africa): An ecosystem of digital platforms (mobile and web) that exist to make the agricultural value chain more efficient & fair.
  7. Ndovu (Kenya): A micro-investment platform providing access to financial markets, financial literacy and tools to diversify financial risk.
  8. Nguvu Health (Nigeria): Preventive and Corrective Tech for mental health
  9. OneHealth (Nigeria): A digital-first pharmacy and healthcare platform, leveraging technology to provide access to medicines, information and healthcare providers.
  10. PayWay Ethiopia (Ethiopia): With its fully functional payment technologies, PayWay is digitizing payments in Ethiopia.
  11. Tabiri Analytics Inc (Rwanda): Comprehensive and automated cyber security as a service for enterprises in the underserved markets.
  12. Tendo (Ghana): Tendo enables anyone in Africa to sell online with zero capital investment.
  13. Third.Design (Tunisia): A software-as-a-service (SaaS) platform that helps individuals easily design 3D immersive experiences.
  14. Vittas International (Nigeria): A tech-enabled financing platform that extends credit to healthcare SMEs in Nigeria.
  15. Whoosh (South Africa): A digital payments solution enabling merchants and businesses to expand online.
The programs we're launching today are essential to our efforts to create platforms and initiatives that will aid in the development of Africa's digital economy. We are thrilled to be a part of this story.



Posted by Nitin Gajria, Managing Director, Google Africa & Rowan Barnett, Head of Google.org EMEA

YouTube Announces Class of 2022 Application Date for the #YouTubeBlack Voices Fund

Black stories and experiences are as diverse and complex as the people. But all too often, the portrayals we see are a portrait of a monolithic group. That’s a problem we wanted to address; we hope to use the #YouTubeBlack Voices Fund to promote more authentic and varied perspectives and celebrate Black joy.



When we announced the #YouTubeBlack Voices Fund last year, we launched with the intention of investing in work that amplifies the voices, perspectives, and stories of Black people around the world. We wanted to equip Black creators and artists with the resources and support to enable them to thrive on YouTube. We’re proud of the progress we’ve made through our Class of 2021 grant program, YouTube Originals, and more.


CELEBRATING OUR 2021 GRANTEES
In just seven months, our Class of 2021 creators and artists are increasing their impact and growing their channels because of the hard work they are putting in, the support they have received, and the dynamic communities they are continuing to build. Some of the highlights include:
  • Each of our grantees has been partnered with a dedicated YouTube Strategic Partner manager who is working with them to optimize and grow their channels and we’ve already seen amazing results in channel growth and engagement.
  • More than 132 creators & artist teams across six countries have participated in our inaugural three-week Black Voices Creator Fund Incubator Camps, where guest speakers covered everything from Pre-Production 101, lighting, and digital storytelling to alternative monetization, media coaching and wellbeing. These sessions were led by industry experts including Dyana Williams, Moira Griffin, Alan Soares, Ícaro Silva, Devi Brown, Jamila Jordan Theus, Sarah Janiszewski, Tommy Oliver, Funmilola Adeniyi, Oluwatosin Olaseinde, Jake Wiafe, Jade Raad, Dane Baptiste and Jamal Edwards MBE, among many others.

  • We’ve seen our creators use their grants in a variety of ways. For example:
    • Tassio from Herdeira da Beleza, hired a team and dedicated time to launch a podcast called SentidosDaBeleza (Senses of Beauty), the first podcast in Brazil about makeup for people with visual impairments.
    • Terrell used his grant to upgrade his shooting space and launch a new cooking and comedy show called T and Coco.
    • Tiffany from TiffanyRotheWorkouts purchased all new production equipment and hired an editor. This has helped her upgrade the production value of her weekly live workouts while diversifying her content and monetization strategy.
    • Jabrils has launched his lifelong dream project - he's producing an animated series that is inspired by his Black experience.
    • Winifred from Zeelicious Foods started two new content series, "Dining Etiquette" and "Bachelor Recipes Series" that are resonating well with viewers.
    • The Humble Penny partnered with an editor to uplevel their production and produce a career-planning series called 'How much do they make?’
    • Vanessa Kanbi invested in better production equipment to boost her content value and explore new content collaborations.



  • Artists have used their funding to develop both impactful and creative work that speaks to their personal lives. Yung Baby Tate released the vibrant music video for her self-empowerment anthem, “I Am,” while Brent Faiyaz celebrated the importance of women in his life through the rollout of “Show U Off,”which were both featured on YouTube Music's Released playlist. As part of YouTube Music’s Africa Month celebration, Sho Madjozi, Sauti Sol, and Fireboy DML, hosted exclusive live stream virtual concerts on each of their Official Artist Channels. And Mariah The Scientist performed an exclusive live set for YouTube Music Nights from Center Stage in Atlanta, in support of the National Independent Venu Association (NIVA).

  • We partnered with several artists and organizations (Masego, 2 Chainz, Kitty Cash, The Legacy Series, The MOBO Awards) to develop the #YouTubeBlack Music moments which included content series, live streams, and events. The #YouTubeBlack Music moments are celebrations of Black culture, identity, and experiences from the perspective of artists and thought leaders in Music.
  • To deepen the impact of our work, building on our artist and creator grants, and content investments, our Music team also worked with Project Level, The Gathering Spot and Since the 80s to launch Future Insiders, to date reaching over 180 at-risk and underserved youth aspiring to enter the music and creative industries. We’ll expand globally in 2021.





ORIGINAL PROGRAMMING SPOTLIGHTING RACIAL JUSTICE AND DIVERSE BLACK EXPERIENCES
In addition to supporting our Class of 2021, we are also committed to inspiring transformational conversations on racial justice and portraying diverse Black experiences through YouTube Originals projects, including episodes of “Glad You Asked,” a third installment of “Bear Witness, Take Action,” the upcoming new series “The Outsiders” and “Onyx Family Dinner,” as well as recent successes with “HBCU Homecoming 2020: Meet Me On The Yard,” “Black Renaissance,” “Resist,” “Trapped: Cash Bail in America,” “A Day in the Live: Wizkid,” and “Bear Witness, Take Action 2.” Additional shows are currently in production and slated to be released in the coming months.






WELCOMING APPLICANTS FOR THE NEXT WAVE OF #YOUTUBEBLACK VOICES GRANTS


We’re excited about the work that has already happened and looking forward to the work that is still to come later this year and throughout the duration of the Fund. On June 21, 2021 we will officially open grant applications for the #YouTubeBlack Voices Fund Class of 2022 and I’d like to invite you to apply to be part of our next class. In addition to creators and artists, we are expanding eligibility to songwriters and producers. Also, for the first time, we’re opening up applications for those based in Canada, in addition to the U.S., UK, Brazil, and Sub-Saharan Africa. Artist, and Songwriter/Producer grants will also be available in Australia.

We are committed to being advocates and allies to the diverse communities that call YouTube home and we are continuing to expand our efforts to support other marginalized and underrepresented communities. We will have more to share on those initiatives in the coming months. It’s a responsibility we embrace and also an incredible opportunity to make a difference and leave a lasting positive impact. We’re up for the challenge and look forward to promoting equity and inclusion for the long-term.






With gratitude,
Malik Ducard - on behalf of an engaged and passionate YouTube team



For more information about our music-specific initiatives for the #YouTubeBlack Voices Fund, please visit:

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Supporting Small Businesses in Africa: Google for Small Business launched across Sub-Saharan Africa

Small businesses are the lifeblood of the African economy. In Nigeria and Kenya, SMEs contribute to 84% of all local jobs and In South Africa SMEs contribute to 52% of the country's GDP (source). SMBs in Africa have been hard hit by the pandemic with 56% of workers in urban jobs in Nigeria stopping work. ( source)




At Google , we are passionate about  small and medium businesses; not so long ago, in 1998, we ourselves started out as a small business. This is why, as we celebrate International Small Business Month in June, we are reaffirming our support for small retail firms in Africa through new programs focused at bolstering their recovery efforts.




Launching Google for Small Business
We have launched a new website, Google for Small Business, dedicated to help small African businesses take and grow their businesses online and continue to reach customers during the Covid-19 pandemic. The free website will guide businesses along every step of their journey from setting up a Business Profile on Google, to creating a free website, along with tips and advice on how to reach and grow their customer base. The platform will also allow business owners to tailor their approach, in their own time, to operating online based on their own specific needs.


Last year we announced a set of programs to assist 500,000 African small businesses recover from the financial effects of Covid-19. This Google for Small business website complements existing Google tools such Market Finder for SMEs aiming to export to new markets, and Marketing Kit for assistance with developing marketing materials.

Businesses can also reach out to our partner Africa118 to get verified on Google my Business.

SMB digital skills webinars
Helping more people understand how to utilise the Web to improve themselves and grow their businesses is something we’ve been particularly passionate about. Our digital skills programmes have reached over 5 million people across Africa, many of whom are business owners. As part of this programme, this month we'll be hosting 3 one-hour long retail SMB-focused webinars on YouTube, covering topics like Analytics, Digital Marketing, and Ads with Google.


The webinars will be available for free on 9, 16, and 23 June and interested attendees are invited to register at goo.gle/smbwebinars


Featuring African small business
Our efforts to promote small businesses in Africa includes creating forums for information sharing and cross-policing of ideas. We will be sharing the stories of small businesses who use digital technologies from Google and others to expand their online presence, reach new consumers, and make a difference in their local communities. The series, known as #ShopSmallFridays will premiere on the Google Africa Twitter account, and will feature inspiring stories of small businesses, with a focus on African triumphs.

Please follow the #ShopSmallFriday series on our Google Africa Twitter account.







If you’re inspired to support small retail businesses, encourage them to sign up for our digital skills training or take a look at G4SMB




Posted by Asha Patel, Head, B2B Marketing, Sub-Saharan Africa

We’re celebrating Africa Day and enjoying the power of African culture and music

Today we come together to celebrate Africa Day - the annual commemoration of the African Union - by inviting you to experience the power of African culture and music with YouTube Music and Google Arts & Culture. Through an array of virtual festivities, people across the continent and the diaspora are celebrating unity through our shared history and culture. We live in unprecedented times, and the past year has proven how online gatherings, music and culture can help us connect with loved ones and inspire people across borders.




Continue celebrating Africa Day with Google Arts & Culture and learn more about the continent's rich cultural heritage. Here are 12 ways to get you started:




1. Celebrate the best of African Music with YouTube
Tonight at 7PM CAT, we invite you to join our 2nd ‘Africa Day Concert’ in collaboration with MTV Base Africa and Idris Elba, who is also hosting the concert. It is a musical homage to Africa and the next global wave of artists and will stream globally exclusively on MTV Base Africa YouTube channel and broadcast across Africa on MTV Base (DStv Channel). Africa’s most celebrated superstars will introduce the next global wave of talent at this year’s event. This includes the iconic and legendary musician Angelique Kidjo, Congolese singer-songwriter Fally Ipupa and the legendary internationally renowned South African artist Yvonne Chaka Chaka amongst others. The concert will also shine a spotlight on some of the most dynamic emerging artists from all over Africa. This includes Rozzy Sokota (Sierra Leone), Ary (Angola) and Mohamed Ramadan (Egypt). As if that’s not enough, a jammed packed line-up of African and global superstars including Amina (Kenya), Azawi (Uganda), Blxckie (South Africa), Boris Kodjoe (USA), Ckay (Nigeria), Cleo Ice Queen (Zambia) Dr Bone (South Africa), Drizilik (Sierra Leone), Ehiz ( Nigeria), Emtee (South Africa), Fik Fameica (Uganda), Innoss’B (DRC), Jay Rox (Zambia), Kamo Mphela (South Africa), Lady Kuda (Zimbabwe), Locnville (South Africa), Mark Angel (Nigeria), Mr P (Nigeria), Ms Red (Zimbabwe), Nadia Mukami (Kenya), Nomalanga Shozi (South Africa), Pierre Emerick Aubameyang (Gabon), Shirazee (Benin), Slapdee (Zambia), Soraia Ramos (Cape Verde), Tendai “The Beast'' Mtawarira (South Africa), Tresor (South Africa), Wema (Tanzania), Will Packer (USA) and William last KRM (Botswana).

If you're up for extending the party after the concert, we invite you to listen to the YouTube Music Playlist and get to know Africa’s next wave of talent making their mark on the global stage.


2. Step inside Africa’s cultural institutions and explore their collections
There are thousands of iconic museums, galleries, and cultural sites in Africa, including Kenya's African Heritage House. Virtually visit 32 cultural institutions across the continent and read over 300 expert-curated stories on art, identity, music, fashion, food and more.
3. Be inspired by Africa's trailblazing women
Let the voices of women from the past and present inspire you. Meet a courageous freedom fighter, let Mama Nike ignite your creativity, learn about activist Winnie Mandela's bravery, take in the remarkable story of Queen Tiye and score a goal with a strong women's football team.


4. Which Kenyan superhero are you? 

Step back in time with 61 Kenyan heroes and discover how they fought for their communities’ land, freedom and spiritual well-being. Take the quiz to find out who your super alter-ego would be. 


Drawing on Afrofuturism, be inspired by artists from the diaspora and Osborne Macharia to create your own Afrofuturist world. Release your inner superpowers and let your imagination be your guide. 


Superheroes of Kenya, Shujaa Stories and National Museums of Kenya, 2020




5. Feel the buzz of Africa's most populous city 

Step inside Lagos, Nigeria's most populous city, with Èkó for Show, and let over 100 creatives inspire you. Start singing Afrobeat tunes with Reekado Banks, paint the lagoon with Victor Ehikamenor, meet the stars of Nollywood with Iké Udé and let Davido inspire your taste buds. 

Continue your journey to South Africa and feel the urban vibe with musicians Busiswa and Muzi. Let them take you on a personal city tour and learn how Durban and Johannesburg have impacted their lives. 

 

6. Place an African masterpiece in your home 

Search for your favorite African artist and click on the Art Projector feature to display their artwork in front of you. Start with paintings by Ali Omar Ermes, Ben Enwonwu, Mohammed Khadda, Nja Mahdaoui, Wangechi Mutu, William Kentridge and Wosene Worke Kosrof. 


Discover more about contemporary African art and its artists by visiting Jean Pigozzi’s Pocket Gallery in augmented reality. Can you spot the paintings by artist Chéri Samba and Esther Mahlangu? 

Pigozzi Collection Pocket Gallery



7. Feel the power of African literature 

Let poet Siphokazi Jonas' love letter to her home country inspire you, and learn more about what identity means to author Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o. Celebrate Africa’s greatest stories by joining the #AfricaReads challenge with YouTube. Share a video of you reading a book by your favourite African author or watch how people across the continent came together to read Lọlá Shónẹ́yìn's novel 'The Secret Lives of Baba Segi’s Wives.' 


8. Crack the hieroglyphic code 

Still curious about words and languages? We challenge you to crack the hieroglyphic code from Ancient Egypt with the AI-powered tool Fabricius. You can also use emojis to create secret codes with friends. 

Fabricius: Learn, Play, and Work, Google Arts & Culture



9. Go on a wildlife adventure 

Africa is home to some of the world's most extraordinary wildlife and nature. Learn more about the importance of conservation with the last male northern white rhino or join a virtual game to meet Africa's big five: lion, leopard, rhino, elephant, and buffalo. 


Continue your adventure by taking in the beauty and majesty of Africa from the top. Virtually climb the Great Pyramid of Giza or learn more about Africa's spectacular mountains, including the Kilimanjaro, Mount Patti and the Table Mountain. 

Addo Elephant National Park, Eastern Cape, South Africa, South African Tourism



10. Join the movement to preserve Africa’s wonders

Climate change is impacting nature, historical sites and communities across the continent. Be inspired by the people of Kilwa Kisiwani in Tanzania, and learn how planting mangrove trees and using technology can help save historical ruins and communities.

Walking Towards the Main Door of Gereza Fort in Kilwa Kisiwani, CyArk, 2018



11. Turn your lens on Africa 

Join Africa's photographers in capturing and sharing culture in new ways. Be inspired by legendary photojournalist James Barnor, take a look back at 10 years of LagosPhoto Festival and learn how to turn the street into a runway with Stephen Tayo. 

Ibeji (brothers), Stephen Tayo, Homecoming, 2019




12. Explore Black history beyond the continent 

African culture has had a transformative impact on the world and keeps fueling creativity in the diaspora. Join rapper Nas in paying homage to the long tradition of black musicians and storytellers who inspire us to this day. Learn more about Black history and culture in the United States, the United Kingdom or explore 50 years of black creativity through the exhibition ‘Get Up, Stand Up Now.’ 

                                




Find out more on YouTube Music and with the Google Arts & Culture app on Android or iOS.




Alex Okosi, Managing Director of Emerging Markets in Europe, the Middle East and Africa






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How anyone can make Maps more accessible




With Google Maps, we want to make it easier to get around, explore and get things done for everyone — and that includes people with disabilities. One way that we make sure our Maps have up-to-date information about details, like if a restaurant has tables suitable for people who use wheelchairs, is through our community of Local Guides. In honor of Global Accessibility Awareness Day, we’re sharing tips from some of these people about how anyone can contribute to a more accessible world — both on and off of the map.



Make an accessibility checklist for your reviews
When you add a review on Google Maps you can create your own template or accessibility checklist to make sure you have the most helpful details covered.


Tushar Suradkar, a Local Guide from India, created a system that helps him make sure all of his reviews covers the accessibility details he cares about — like if a place has tactile paths for the visually impaired, ramp access, and wheelchair-accessible entrances, restrooms, parking and elevators. Each time he leaves a review, he fills in a self-created template that makes these details clear and noticeable so people looking for this information can spot it.

Tushar’s accessibility checklist used on Google Maps reviews.



Add accessibility attributes to your business or places you’ve visited
After visiting a place or business, you can help indicate which accessibility features a place has — like whether it has a wheelchair-accessible entrance, wheelchair-accessible restroom, wheelchair-accessible parking — by answering questions about the business on the Google Maps app.


And if you’re a business owner or manager with a verified Business Profile on Google, you can add attributes to your Business Profile on Search and Maps. In addition to existing accessibility attributes, we recently added the assistive hearing loop attribute that indicates if somewhere, like a movie theater or library, has a sound system that is compatible with hearing aids. If attributes aren’t relevant to your business, you have even more ways you can make your business more accessible by using tools such as Live Transcribe, Live Caption, and TalkBack on Android.

        Accessibility attributes displayed on Google Maps.


Create lists to curate accessible places on Google Maps

Another way to share local knowledge is by creating public lists on Google Maps. You can make lists of places like accessible museums in your city or the most wheelchair accessible restaurants in your neighborhood.  



Asongfac Lily Rospeen, a Local Guide from the Southwest region of Cameroon, curates lists like her Accessibility Buea list that includes wheelchair accessible banks, hotels, hospitals, bookshops, pharmacies, and supermarkets in her city. 





Spread the word about accessibility
Let others know about all the ways they can contribute to Maps to make it more accessible through attributes, reviews and more. Take inspiration from the Local Guides community.


Emeka Ulor, a Local Guide from Nigeria, has rallied other people to add accessibility data to Google Maps and help make it more inclusive. He started the One Accessibility project, recruiting more than 20 volunteers and hosting more than 100 meet-ups to encourage people to add accessibility information to Google Maps. His reviews include information about wheelchair accessible parking, entrances, restrooms, lighting, Braille and seating to help inform people about the accessibility of their destination.


You can read more about these Local Guides and how others in the community are making Google Maps more accessible on Connect, our blog and forum for Local Guides.



Posted by Mara Chomsky, Director, Local Guides 

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