Google has launched its first Cloud Region in the African continent. The new Cloud Region is now open in Johannesburg, South Africa.
In an official statement, Niral Patel (Director, Google Cloud, Africa) said, “Businesses of all sizes across the continent now have access to high-performance, secure and low-latency cloud services,” adding, “The Google Cloud region in Johannesburg will accelerate the African tech ecosystem, providing organizations with the resources they need to scale, innovate, and compete in the global marketplace.”
Shedding more light on the project, Patel said, “Like all Google Cloud regions, the Johannesburg region is connected to Google’s secure network, comprising a system of high-capacity fiber optic cables under land and sea around the world. This includes the recently-completed Equiano subsea cable system that connects Portugal with Togo, Nigeria, Namibia, South Africa, and St. Helena.”
But while this is Google’s first Cloud Region in Africa, it is by no means the first mover. Microsoft opened its Azure Region in Johannesburg in March 2019, while Amazon Web Services (AWS) opened its own Cloud Region in Cape Town in April 2020. Oracle too opened its Cloud Region in Johannesburg in January 2022.
Africa’s Cloud and Data Center Market
There are established and emerging data center markets all across Africa with the top five markets being South Africa, Nigeria, Mauritius, Kenya and Angola. There are new and emerging markets in Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda. Terco Data Environments, Africa Data Centers and MainOne (an Equinix company) are among the biggest players.
“The Africa Data Center Market size is estimated at 0.69 thousand MW in 2024, and is expected to reach 1.23 thousand MW by 2029, growing at a CAGR of 12.34% during the forecast period (2024-2029),” says Mordor Intelligence.
ResearchAndMarkets.com has also arrived at similar estimates. It says, “The Africa data center market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 10.25% from 2022 to 2028.” It also says, “In South Africa and Kenya, the government has partnered with private entities to develop digital infrastructure, increasing the demand for data centers.”
Statista finds that revenue in the Public Cloud market in South Africa is projected to reach US$ 4,044.00m in 2024, and that “Infrastructure as a Service dominates the market with a projected market volume of US$1,310.00m in 2024.” It further says, “Revenue is expected to show an annual growth rate (CAGR 2024-2028) of 15.88%, resulting in a market volume of US$7,291.00m by 2028.”
International Data Corportation (IDC) had analysed the public cloud services market in South Africa over the 2023–2027 period. The IDC Market Forecast covered key market developments and provides recommendations to technology suppliers. Senior Research Manager Jebin George, Software and Cloud, IDC Middle East and Africa said, “The adoption of public cloud services in South Africa is set to continue trending upward as more organizations work toward resilience, scalability, flexibility, and digital innovation while complying with data sovereignty and residency regulations. Significant investments from hyperscalers and local players in new datacenters, cloud regions, and cloud services have supported the growth of the country’s PCS market in recent years.”