President Cyril Ramaphosa has welcomed Microsoft South Africa's recently announced investment of a further R5.4 billion to expand its cloud and AI infrastructure in South Africa to meet the growing demand for Azure services in the SADC region.
President Ramaphosa has welcomed Microsoft South Africa's further investment to expand its cloud and AI services.
President Ramaphosa noted that this comes at an opportune time as the country hosts the Group of Twenty (G20) this year, with the G20 Summit due to take place later in the year.
He said using AI for sustainable development is among South Africa’s priorities during its G20 Presidency.
The president was speaking at the announcement of the Microsoft investment in Bryanston, Johannesburg, on 6 March.
Microsoft’s Vice Chair and President, Brad Smith, said this latest commitment builds on the company’s R 20.4 billion investment over the past three years to establish the nation’s first enterprise-grade data centres in Johannesburg and Cape Town.
President Ramaphosa said the Artificial Intelligence, Data Governance and Innovation for Sustainable Development Task Force will lead this stream, and he looked forward to engaging with the Business 20 (B20) and other industry stakeholders in support of the task force’s work.
He lauded Microsoft for its continuous investments in South Africa, saying, “The company’s commitment to Africa, and to South Africa, has been solid, dependable and impressive. Microsoft has had a constant presence in South Africa since the dawn of our democracy, having opened its first offices here in 1992. Since then, Microsoft has expanded its local footprint substantially and now has thousands of partners and customers. The company’s commitment to skills and capacity building is impressive,” he said.
Ramaphosa also commended Microsoft’s plans to train one million South Africans in AI skills, machine learning and cybersecurity by 2026.
“For a country such as ours, with such a high youth unemployment rate, this comprehensive training will prepare young people for jobs in high-tech industries. It will also facilitate self-employment,” he said.
This will contribute to a new generation of tech and software entrepreneurs that will bring innovation and high-tech solutions to the market to support economic growth and enhance the country’s competitiveness.
The president mentioned that South Africa is developing a national AI policy that seeks to position the country as a leader in AI innovation and, at the same time, address its ethical, economic and societal implications. “We must heed the words of the UN Secretary-General António Guterres that artificial intelligence without ‘guard-rails’ could further exacerbate inequalities and digital divides. The AI revolution is a catalyst for job creation, particularly for young people, but it needs to be managed clearly,” he said.
Last week, at the annual lekgotla of the Basic Education Sector, the president said that future-proofing the country’s education system means coming to terms with the reality that the first fully digital generation is already in high school. The next generation, Generation Beta, will be immersed in tech and AI from birth, and will enter a world of work that is light years away from what it is today.
“Building a robust AI talent pool is therefore critical. The application of AI will need to be integrated into educational curricula. Specialised training programmes will need to be offered and strong partnerships will need to be forged between academia and industry.
“As part of its commitment to digital transformation for sustainable development, Microsoft has invested in AI skills training for SMMEs. It has dedicated considerable resources to supporting black-owned companies pioneering 4IR technologies,” Ramaphosa said.
He further emphasised that he has high expectations that the county’s G20 Presidency will result in tangible outcomes, expanding the global digital economy and levelling the AI playing field for the benefit of all.
“Our country and continent have huge potential, driven by the talents and energies of our people. It is up to all of us, working in partnership, to ensure that AI and its associated technologies do not deepen the technology divide, but narrow it.
“As we look towards hosting the G20 Summit later this year, we are committed to ensuring that the adoption of new technologies catalyses Africa’s growth, industrialisation and progress. We are excited about partnering with Microsoft to make this a reality,” Ramaphosa said.
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