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Google has taken a major step toward making advanced artificial intelligence more accessible by launching its ‘Google AI Plus’ package in over 40 developing countries. The initiative offers affordable access to Google’s sophisticated AI ecosystem, including the Gemini 2.5 Pro model, advanced tools for image and video generation, and enhanced productivity features. Zimbabwe is among the first countries to benefit from this rollout, signaling an important milestone in the region’s technological development.
By Ropafadzo Mashawi
The Google AI Plus package is positioned as a more accessible alternative to Google’s premium AI subscriptions. Priced at $5 per month, the package significantly lowers the barrier for users in emerging markets. Subscribers gain access to a wide array of features previously reserved for higher-tier plans. These include the Gemini 2.5 Pro model, which allows for sophisticated natural language processing, content generation, and problem-solving. The package also expands the limits on media generation tools, including the Veo 3 Fast video model and creative tools like Whisk, Flow, and the Nano Banana image editing platform, enabling advanced multimedia creation.
Productivity is further enhanced through integration with core Google services such as Gmail, Docs, and Sheets, while access to NotebookLM helps with research and information synthesis. Subscribers also receive 200GB of cloud storage across Google Photos, Drive, and Gmail, shareable with up to five family members, although AI features remain exclusive to the account holder.
The rollout began in Indonesia but quickly expanded to countries across Africa, Asia, and Latin America, including Angola, Nigeria, Kenya, Mexico, and, importantly, Zimbabwe. The move reflects Google’s strategy of prioritizing regions where affordable AI can drive real change, rather than markets like the United States where high-tier AI subscriptions are already widespread.
For Zimbabweans, Google AI Plus is more than a subscription, it’s a tool for innovation. Entrepreneurs can create content faster and more efficiently, students and researchers can harness AI for learning and projects, and small businesses can improve operations with AI-driven insights. As Zimbabwe continues its push toward digital transformation, access to affordable AI could spark a wave of creativity and economic opportunity, positioning the country as a growing hub for AI adoption in Africa.
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