Google has officially announced that South Africa will become the site of a new Google Cloud region. The first cloud region in South Africa is now playing catch-up to Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Microsoft Azure.
It is also setting up dedicated cloud interconnect locations in Nairobi, Kenya; Lagos, Nigeria; Cape Town; and Johannesburg, South Africa, so that its clients and partners in Africa can use the cloud fully. As part of its $1 billion investment plan for Africa, Google will put up an African cloud service that would enable customers to store data in-country.
More so, the company will use its proprietary undersea cable, Equiano, to power the sites. Equiano has made four landings in Togo, Namibia, and Nigeria. The cloud infrastructure will be based in South Africa, but users can choose where to store their data, said Google Cloud Africa’s Niral Patel.
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South Africa joins Google’s global network
South Africa joins Google’s global network of 35 cloud regions and 106 zones, after Malaysia, Thailand, and New Zealand. Customers can install cloud resources from specific locations and use cloud storage, computing engines, and key management systems through Google Cloud regions.
“We’re pleased to launch Google Cloud in Africa. The new area will localize apps and services. It will make it simpler for our customers and partners to swiftly implement solutions for their organizations using artificial intelligence, machine learning, and data analytics to make better business choices.”
The new region and interconnect locations will bring cloud computing services closer to users, enabling them to select where to use them. What we’re doing here is giving customers and partners a choice on where they’d like to store their data and where they’d like to consume cloud services, especially in the context of data sovereignty.
Some African nations require corporations to keep data inside their borders, raising demand for a flexible regional cloud service. In an effort to promote the growth of local By retaining and handling the data, Nigerian phone providers are not permitted to transport government or consumer information outside of the nation.
Why South Africa?
According to research by AlphaBeta Economics, the South African cloud area will contribute to the creation of over 40,000 jobs and a total GDP of over $2.1 billion by 2030. Niral Patel, who is in charge of Google Cloud in Africa, thinks that the most demand is in South Africa and that this is just a way to give clients more options.
Africa, sub-Saharan for Google According to Nitin Gajria, the company’s managing director, South Africa is only its first destination in Africa. He did not, however, specify a timeline for data centers in Nigeria and Nairobi.
Google’s African intentions
The first Google for Africa event revealed African goals. Equiano, a subsea Internet cable, will boost Africa’s capacity. It has a $50 million fund for African businesses run by black people, loans for small businesses, and money for nonprofits.
Google’s $50 million Africa Investment Fund put money into Ugandan and Nigerian mobile transportation service SafeBoda, South African mobile gaming company Carry1st, and Kenyan e-logistics firm Lori Systems.
Google wants to create its first African product development center in Nairobi in 2022 to improve goods for Africa and the globe. It has also added 300,000 kilometers of additional Street View video in Kenya, South Africa, Senegal, and Nigeria.