President Cyril Ramaphosa says the firm is “an American company with an African heart” due to its “impressive” commitment to Pretoria and the continent
Microsoft will invest nearly $300 million over the next two years on AI and cloud infrastructure in South Africa, Brad Smith, the vice chair and president of the American multinational has announced.
Speaking at an event in Johannesburg, South Africa on Thursday, Smith said the investment will help meet the region’s growing demand for Microsoft’s Azure services and contribute to the country’s “ambition to become a globally competitive AI economy.”
“For more than 30 years, Microsoft has been a committed partner to South Africa. This latest investment is part of our broader focus in helping South Africans build a future where technology drives prosperity and young workers have the skills they need to thrive,” he stated.
The world’s largest software firm has already invested around $1.1 billion over the last three years to build the African nation’s first enterprise-grade data centers in Johannesburg and Cape Town.
Smith said Microsoft will pay for certification exams for 50,000 individuals in high-demand digital skills, including AI, data science, cybersecurity analysis, and cloud solution architecture, to boost their chances of getting employed.
South Africa has one of the highest unemployment rates in the world, with the black population particularly affected. According to data published by the national statistics agency in February, the country’s joblessness rate stood at 31.9% at the end of last year.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa welcomed Microsoft’s investment, saying it will prepare young people for jobs in high-tech industries, as well as facilitate self-employment in a country “with such a high youth unemployment rate.”
He described Microsoft as “an American company with an African heart” whose commitment to Pretoria and the continent “has been solid, dependable, and impressive.”
