At the second Google for Africa event held in 2022, Google unveiled plans to establish its inaugural cloud region in South Africa. Cloud regions denote specific geographical zones where cloud providers operate data centers, facilitating users, particularly businesses, in accessing a variety of cloud services like storage, compute engines, and key management systems.

Google expressed confidence that the upcoming cloud region in Johannesburg would significantly enhance the African tech ecosystem. It aims to empower businesses across the continent by furnishing them with essential resources to scale, innovate, and compete effectively in the global marketplace.

Furthermore, the tech giant pledged to collaborate with organizations throughout Africa, facilitating their transition to comprehensive digitalization and enabling them to reap the benefits thereof.

The addition of the Johannesburg cloud region brings Google’s network to a total of 40 cloud regions, extending services to over 200 countries and territories worldwide. In line with its commitment to expanding cloud capabilities, Google announced plans to establish Dedicated Cloud Interconnect sites in Lagos, Nigeria; Nairobi, Kenya; and Cape Town and Johannesburg, South Africa, connecting users’ on-premises networks to Google’s infrastructure.

Niral Patel, Google Cloud Africa Director, clarified that the Johannesburg region, like the other 39 Google Cloud regions, is linked to Google’s secure network. This network encompasses high-capacity fiber optic cable systems both underground and under the sea globally, including the recently completed Equiano subsea cable system connecting Portugal with Togo, Nigeria, Namibia, South Africa, and St. Helena.

In a statement, Patel emphasized Google’s commitment to not only delivering infrastructure and services but also providing education and training on the latest cloud technologies and sustainable business practices. With this move, Google now joins other major cloud providers such as Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, and Oracle in establishing cloud regions in South Africa

Source: Techpoint Africa