If Big Tech’s AI-powered (and probably AI-generated) vision for the future is indeed on the cards, the world needs to be ready. It’s all well and good to have it out with ChatGPT every other day, but real growth stems from real education. To that end, Microsoft has announced a collaboration with the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) that will see the former dishing out its AI expertise, for free, on SABC Plus.
Microsoft’s upskilling idea might just work
The announcement was made at Microsoft’s AI Tour 2026, taking place at the Sandton Convention Centre. The alliance follows in the footsteps of the Windows-maker’s other educational projects, namely the AI Skills Initiative, launched in 2025. It was there when it pledged to train one million Saffas in the ways of AI by 2026.
“The aim is to educate South Africans, especially the youth, on the basics of AI to empower them to have a fundamental understanding of its principles in a way where the world of work and industries are going to be underpinned by AI,” the SABC wrote.
Read More: Microsoft hopes that you’ll talk to your PC now that it has Copilot inside of it
It’ll manage that by integrating “AI fluency modules, refresh digital literacy pathways, and co-brand digital badges into the SABC Plus platform”. SABC hopes that watchers will consume the on-demand content to help them complete assessments and even earn ‘recognised credentials’ that’ll help them secure a job later.
Neither Microsoft nor the broadcaster revealed when the streaming service’s 1.9 million users (of which only 25% are active) could access the wealth of educational AI content headed for SABC Plus.
