Transforming Africa’s Digital Landscape: The Impact of Google’s First Cloud Region in Africa

The recent launch of Google’s first African Cloud Region in Johannesburg, South Africa, marks another monumental step in Africa’s digital transformation. Africa’s demand for cloud computing services was already growing at a rate of 25%-30% per year, and this development confirms the continent’s importance in the global technology ecosystem, bringing numerous benefits to local businesses and industries.

As CEO and co-founder of Deimos, a leading cloud technology and professional services company in Africa and a Google Cloud Major Partner, I have been deeply involved in mentoring developers, teams, and businesses to make smart technology decisions in the cloud space. As we reflect on the launch of the cloud region seven months later, here are some key ways it can transform our ecosystem and position African businesses for digital success.

The new Google Cloud region dramatically reduces latency for South African businesses and provides resilience with three data centers, spread out 20 kilometers apart in a triangular configuration. Data typically has to be transferred to and from servers in Europe or America, resulting in slower response times and inefficiencies that can be crippling, especially as AI becomes more embedded in business operations. It’s important to keep latency as low as possible to ensure businesses can meet customer demand and scale efficiently. One of the key benefits of this region is that businesses can expect faster processing and more responsive applications. This improvement is key for industries that rely on real-time data, such as finance, healthcare, and e-commerce.

Businesses that were previously hesitant to adopt cloud technologies due to concerns about data security and latency can now confidently embrace the benefits of the cloud. These include increased scalability, cost-efficiency, and access to advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence and machine learning.

With Google’s cloud infrastructure, African companies can innovate faster and compete more effectively on a global scale.

Data sovereignty is a major concern for many African businesses, especially those operating in regulated sectors. Hosting data on the continent helps these companies comply with local data protection laws, avoiding the complexities and potential legal issues associated with storing data overseas. The Johannesburg region, in particular, allows South African companies to store their data within national borders – ensuring compliance and increasing security.

In the context of South African enterprises, customers often come to Deimos before launching new cloud products or services, unsure of their compliance and security status. We typically discover serious security flaws embedded deep in their architecture, which means a return to development and a longer lead time to market. The region provides services and capabilities in the country to help companies navigate additional regulatory requirements such as the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA), a South African law that protects personal information from misuse by public and private groups.

Google’s investment in this area sends a strong signal to other global tech giants about Africa’s potential. The “Africa Rising” narrative is gone. Africa has arrived. If the Southern African cloud region is deemed a success, it should encourage further investment in cloud infrastructure, paving the way for cloud regions in East, West and North Africa. Expansion into these regions will further spread the benefits across the continent, paving the way for additional investment and supporting broader digital transformation efforts.

This new region also boosts intra-continental network traffic, which could unlock additional revenue streams for businesses. Furthermore, such expansions will strengthen the entire cloud ecosystem, drive economic growth, create jobs, and support technological advancement across the region.

Political stability and physical security are also important factors to consider when opening new regions. Governments in these regions must play a key role in facilitating a favorable regulatory environment that can support the development of infrastructure and talent.

As a Google Cloud Premier Partner, Deimos is well-positioned to help businesses maximize the benefits of this new infrastructure. Over the past few years, Deimos has gained expertise in Google Cloud security (the only partner to achieve this milestone in Africa) and technical infrastructure competencies, demonstrating our ability to deliver robust and secure cloud solutions. We have been waiting for the Johannesburg launch for some time, and it has been truly exciting to see it come to life. It represents a transformational development for Africa’s digital landscape, bringing significant benefits such as reduced latency, strengthened data sovereignty, and accelerated digital transformation. As more global cloud providers recognize Africa’s potential, we can expect to see increased investment and advances in cloud infrastructure. By addressing existing challenges, creating a favorable, secure regulatory environment, and leveraging local resources, Africa can continue its journey to become a leading player in the global digital economy. This development is just the beginning, signaling a bright future for cloud technology and digital innovation across the continent.

About Andrew Mori

Andrew Mori is the CEO and co-founder of Deimos. He has many years of experience in software development and brings those lessons and experience to his role as CEO. Andrew began his software development journey as an astrophysicist working on the Square Kilometer Array Radio Telescope in South Africa. From there, he became the CTO of Nigerian eCommerce giant Konga, where he created one of the most successful PWAs in Africa, presented at the Progressive Web App Summit in 2016.

Andrew is passionate about educating the next wave of top-level African engineers and has made this a guiding principle at Deimos.