Bill Gates Pledges Billions to Africa's Health and Education
Sebastiane Ebatamehi
Tuesday, June 3, 2025
Bill Gates speaks at the 2024 Goalkeepers event in NYC during UNGA week. Roy Rochlin/Getty Images
In what many critics have termed a bold and transformative pledge, Microsoft co-founder and global philanthropist Bill Gates has announced plans to dedicate the majority of his estimated $200 billion fortune to improving health and education systems across Africa.
The announcement was made during his keynote address at the African Union headquarters in Addis Ababa, where Gates outlined a 20-year vision aimed at harnessing the continent’s vast human potential.
Every country in Africa can be on a path to prosperity,” Gates declared. “But that journey starts with investing in the basics, good health, quality education, and innovation.
The 69-year-old billionaire emphasized that sustainable development must be rooted in strengthening human capital.
He also issued a challenge to Africa’s next generation of thinkers and entrepreneurs to explore the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to revolutionize healthcare delivery, particularly in underserved regions.
Gates’ pledge is part of a larger philanthropic mission that will culminate in giving away 99% of his wealth by 2045. He recently wrote in a blog post that while people might remember many things about his life, he is determined that “he died rich” won’t be one of them.
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which Gates co-founded with his then-wife Melinda French Gates in 2000, has already disbursed more than $100 billion toward global health, agriculture, and education initiatives.
The foundation has been instrumental in funding programs for malaria prevention, HIV treatment, and education reform across the Global South, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa.
Gates’ commitment arrives at a pivotal time. Across Africa, fragile healthcare systems are still reeling from the long-term impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, and youth unemployment continues to climb in many nations. Moreover, cuts to international aid, especially by the United States under former President Donald Trump’s administration, have raised concerns about the sustainability of critical programs.
Graça Machel, former First Lady of Mozambique and a prominent advocate for women and children’s rights, welcomed Gates’ announcement.
This pledge comes at a moment of crisis,” she said. “It’s a reminder that philanthropy still has a role to play in bridging the growing inequalities that threaten to leave millions of Africans behind.
Gates also spoke to the promise of new technologies, particularly Artificial Intelligence, as tools for change. He called on Africa’s young innovators to lead the charge in developing AI-powered solutions tailored to local challenges, from disease detection and diagnostics to virtual education and climate adaptation.
Africa has some of the youngest and most creative minds in the world,” he said. I want to see those minds empowered with tools like AI, not just as users but as creators and leaders.
According to Bloomberg, even after giving away 99% of his fortune, Gates, currently ranked the fifth richest person in the world, would still remain a billionaire. But for Gates, the measure of success is no longer his net worth, but the impact he leaves behind.
By 2045, the Gates Foundation plans to conclude its operations, marking the end of an era of institutional philanthropy, but not necessarily of the legacy it hopes to leave across the continent. As Gates concluded his address, he returned to a theme that has defined much of his post-Microsoft life: optimism. “I believe in Africa,” he said. “And I believe that with the right investments, the future here can be as bright as anywhere else in the world.”
All You Need to Know about Bill Gates
William Henry Gates III, popularly known as Bill Gates, is an American business magnate, software developer, philanthropist, and one of the most influential figures in the modern technology era. Born on October 28, 1955, in Seattle, Washington, Gates showed an early passion for computers and programming. This interest laid the foundation for what would become a revolutionary career in technology.
In 1975, Gates co-founded Microsoft Corporation with childhood friend Paul Allen. The duo's big breakthrough came in 1980 when Microsoft licensed its MS-DOS operating system to IBM, paving the way for the personal computer boom. Microsoft soon became the global leader in software development, with its Windows operating systems and Office Suite dominating the market. Gates served as Microsoft’s CEO until 2000 and remained actively involved in its leadership until stepping down from the board in 2020.
Thanks to Microsoft’s explosive growth, Gates became the richest person in the world for much of the late 1990s and early 2000s. His wealth, valued at over $200 billion as of 2025, has increasingly been directed toward philanthropy.
In 2000, Bill and his then-wife, Melinda French Gates, established the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, now one of the largest private charitable foundations globally. The foundation focuses on global health, poverty alleviation, education, and access to information technology.
Across Africa, Gates' philanthropic efforts have been far-reaching. The Foundation has invested billions in combating malaria, HIV/AIDS, polio, and improving maternal and child health. It has also funded agricultural innovation, vaccine development, and educational reform. Gates is a strong advocate for using technology and innovation, such as Artificial Intelligence, to tackle systemic challenges in Africa.
In 2025, Gates announced his plan to give away 99% of his wealth by 2045, with a significant portion earmarked for transformative projects across Africa. This pledge aligns with his long-standing belief that human potential, when supported by good health and quality education, is the most powerful driver of prosperity.
Today, Gates is not only remembered as a tech visionary and business icon but also as a global philanthropist committed to improving lives and creating opportunities, particularly across the African continent.
