- Funding to broaden Microsoft’s hyperscale cloud and AI infrastructure in South Africa, supporting the nation’s ambition to develop into a globally aggressive AI financial system
- New programme extends Microsoft’s AI skilling initiative in South Africa by paying for 50,000 younger individuals’s certification exams in high-demand digital expertise over the subsequent 12 months.
- Mixed investments in infrastructure, skilling, and office certifications are designed to foster innovation, financial development, and workforce improvement.
Johannesburg, 06 March 2025 – Microsoft at present introduced plans to spend ZAR 5.4bn by the top of 2027 to broaden its cloud and AI infrastructure in South Africa to satisfy the rising demand for Azure providers within the area. This funding builds on the corporate’s ZAR 20.4bn funding over the previous three years to ascertain the nation’s first enterprise-grade datacentres in Johannesburg and Cape City.
This spherical of funding will allow a variety of organisations, from start-ups to giant multinationals and authorities entities to entry the cloud and AI options to enhance operational effectivity and productiveness, optimise the supply of providers, and drive innovation throughout the South African financial system. Offering entry to world-class digital infrastructure, coupled with enhancing the capabilities for the South African workforce helps contribute to a future the place AI is seamlessly built-in into each side of society, driving development and innovation.
President Ramaphosa mentioned, “Past blazing a path within the native know-how area, the longstanding presence of Microsoft in South Africa is a vote of confidence in our nation and in our financial system. The strategic funding bulletins made by Microsoft at present stands as additional testimony to this enduring confidence. They sign to the enterprise and investor group that South Africa’s financial system continues to carry immense potential and that it’s a beneficial place to do enterprise the place their investments are safe.”
Clients throughout varied industries in South Africa and Africa, together with monetary providers, healthcare, retail, agriculture, mining, and public sector, are already reaping the advantages of Microsoft cloud and AI applied sciences.
“For greater than 30 years, Microsoft has been a dedicated companion to South Africa,” mentioned Brad Smith, Vice Chair and President of Microsoft. “This newest funding is a part of our broader focus in serving to South Africans construct a future the place know-how drives prosperity and younger staff have the abilities they should thrive.”
Strengthening digital and AI expertise
In response to the World Financial Discussion board, 60 % of firms within the World South establish a important expertise hole as a key barrier to enterprise digitally reworking by 2030. Addressing this hole is important for fostering financial development and innovation. Earlier this yr, Microsoft dedicated to skilling a million South Africans by 2026, equipping firms, authorities and youth with the information and instruments to create AI options to handle native challenges with homegrown options, whereas contributing to the nation’s AI workforce and ecosystem.
To assist job seekers validate their know-how proficiency to employers, Microsoft will broaden its digital expertise initiative over the subsequent 12 months by paying for 50,000 individuals to be “Microsoft Licensed” in high-demand expertise like AI, Knowledge Science, Cybersecurity Evaluation and Cloud Answer Structure. Microsoft gives quite a lot of certifications below the Microsoft Licensed umbrella, validating expertise and experience in areas resembling cloud computing, synthetic intelligence, knowledge science, cybersecurity, and software program improvement, to assist people reveal their proficiency and readiness for in-demand tech roles.
By combining expertise coaching with recognised certifications, Microsoft goals to create a future-ready workforce for South Africa and past.
That is simply the most recent in a string of investments in South Africa that span 30 years.
In 2024 alone, greater than 150,000 individuals have been skilled in digital and AI expertise, 95,000 licensed and 1,800 secured employment alternatives by Microsoft’s Expertise for Jobs programme, thereby addressing ICT expertise gaps, making ready them for high-demand roles, and paving the best way for his or her future success within the AI financial system. Moreover, Microsoft has a longstanding dedication of offering donated and discounted software program to South African instructional establishments, nonprofit organisations, public libraries, and museums to allow equitable entry to know-how, instructional instruments and digital expertise. Over the previous yr, that dedication exceeded $100 million in South Africa.
These aren’t simply investments and programmes; they’re an integral a part of Microsoft’s long-term dedication to South Africa and pathways to a extra inclusive, sustainable financial system.
Enabling Africa to develop into a producer of AI know-how, not only a shopper
The event of strong know-how infrastructure and the cultivation of digital expertise are paramount in transitioning from a shopper to a producer of AI know-how.
Extra broadly, Microsoft believes that South Africa has a chance to paved the way in enabling Africa to develop into a producer of AI know-how, not only a shopper. In response to a current United Nations report, pressing infrastructure investments and regulatory frameworks are very important – particularly, investments in connectivity and AI governance frameworks.
By investing in cutting-edge infrastructure and fostering a talented workforce, South Africa and Africa can unlock new alternatives for innovation, enterprise improvement, financial development, and aggressive benefit on the worldwide stage.
Advancing AI responsibly and sustainably
The AI infrastructure working in South Africa will probably be ruled by Microsoft’s AI Entry Ideas. They replicate Microsoft’s increasing position and accountability as a frontrunner in AI and commit the corporate to creating investments, forging enterprise partnerships, and creating programmes that guarantee broad entry to its AI know-how that allow organisations and people to develop and use AI in methods that may serve the general public good.
It is usually a notable yr for Microsoft. Along with celebrating the fiftieth anniversary of our firm’s founding, it’s the midpoint of our personal sustainability journey. In 2020 we introduced our ambitions to be carbon damaging, water optimistic, and nil waste by 2030, all whereas defending ecosystems. We’ve got made great progress over the previous 5 years, and we’re pleased with what we’ve achieved.
At present, we’re one of many largest carbon-free power consumers on the earth, with a 34-gigawatt (GW) contracted renewable power portfolio throughout 24 international locations to this point. We’re bringing extra carbon-free electrical energy onto the grids the place we function, and we proceed to advocate for the growth of fresh power options world wide. A key element of our water optimistic objective is to replenish extra water than we eat throughout our world operations. We’ve grown our replenishment portfolio to 90 initiatives in over 40 areas world wide. We exceeded our land safety objective, with 15,849 acres of protected land and surpassed our preliminary goal of 11,000 acres by greater than 40%.
Microsoft continues to judge and diligently work to handle sustainability and useful resource wants related to infrastructure development at each world and native stage.
These efforts, and Microsoft’s extra funding in cloud and AI infrastructure and digital skilling spotlight the corporate’s long-standing partnership with South Africa and dedication to boosting financial development and resilience by fostering digital expertise and employment alternatives.
Picture: Microsoft Vice Chair and President, Brad Smith with the Honourable President of the Republic of South Africa Cyril Ramaphosa