Delivering the keynote address at the first Google Cloud Summit held on the African continent at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg on Wednesday, the President said the event affirms Africa's position as a core growth region for the global cloud ecosystem.
"This is so because Africa is no longer simply adopting technologies developed elsewhere. We are becoming a place where new digital solutions are imagined, tested and scaled," President Ramaphosa noted.
A Defining Moment for the Continent
The President described the summit as about far more than a technology conference, framing it as a defining moment for Africa's role in the global digital economy.
"Every great economic transformation has been powered by new infrastructure. New innovations. New ways of doing things. Railways powered the Industrial Revolution. Electricity powered the twentieth century. Cloud computing and artificial intelligence will power the economies of the twenty-first century," he said.
Ramaphosa emphasised that Africa intends not merely to participate in that future, but to help shape it.
"For far too long, Africa has had to play digital catch-up with the world's leading and most industrialised economies. We are now presented with a unique opportunity to be in the driving seat of our own industrialisation and growth," the President stated.
South Africa's Digital Advantage
The President described South Africa as the continent's "digital investment powerhouse and Africa's largest cloud market," hosting approximately 70 percent of Africa's hyperscale data centre capacity.
Additionally, Cape Town was recently ranked as the third-highest startup ecosystem on the continent.
He noted that South Africa combines world-class financial markets, sophisticated legal institutions, deep engineering capability, globally respected universities and a growing innovation ecosystem.
"South Africa and Google are a perfect match. These are precisely the ingredients required for a thriving AI economy," the President noted.
Google's Record Investment
Ramaphosa welcomed Google's latest investment announcements, describing them as a significant vote of confidence in South Africa's economic trajectory and structural reforms.
Google announced that it has exceeded its five-year target to invest $1 billion in Africa, unveiling a package of new initiatives including :
- A new connectivity hub in the Eastern Cape, the first of four planned across the continent
- A R3 million digital innovation centre at the South West Gauteng TVET College in Soweto
- The 2026 Google for Startups Accelerator cohort, selecting 15 South African startups for AI training, mentorship and funding
The President noted that Google's Johannesburg Cloud Region could contribute approximately R1.7 trillion in additional gross economic output by 2030 and support 314,900 jobs.
Beyond Data Centres: Building African Capability
The President stressed that South Africa's ambitions extend far beyond hosting data centres.
"Our ambition is not simply to expand and host data centres. Our ambition is to build companies. To produce researchers. To commercialise African ideas. To create intellectual property that competes globally," he said.
Ramaphosa said technology will unlock entirely new industries, improve the competitiveness of existing firms and create opportunities for thousands of entrepreneurs who today face barriers to entering the formal economy.
He highlighted the potential for cloud and AI to modernise healthcare, education, transportation, energy management and public service delivery across the continent.
Digital Public Infrastructure
The push towards digitisation aligns with government's ongoing economic turnaround strategy, Ramaphosa said.
"A critical part of the structural reforms being coordinated through Operation Vulindlela is the creation of a comprehensive digital public infrastructure for South Africa that will serve as the backbone of our modern economy," he stated.
The President said secure, interoperable digital systems will support digitalisation across the public and private sectors, foster financial inclusion and scale up the delivery of public services.
Digital Sovereignty and Regulation
Ramaphosa stressed the importance of digital sovereignty, calling for collaboration between government and technology providers to develop local capabilities while safeguarding citizens' data and rights.
"In the digital age, sovereignty is measured not only by territorial borders. It is increasingly measured by a nation's ability to secure its data, develop its own digital capabilities and exercise meaningful control over the technologies on which its economy depends," he said.
The President cautioned that South Africa must ensure innovation is matched by appropriate regulation, warning against "vast amounts of sensitive public and private data" being held by private firms and outside national jurisdictions.
A Call to Action
Ramaphosa said the partnership with Google demonstrates that South Africa is open for business and capable of hosting the most significant technology events on the continent.
"Throughout history, every generation has been called upon to build the infrastructure of its age. Our predecessors built roads, ports, dams and power stations. Ours is the generation called upon to build the digital infrastructure that will power the African century," the President said.
"Let future generations say that when the opportunity came, Africa chose ambition over hesitation, innovation over imitation and partnership over isolation. Together we will ensure that the technologies shaping tomorrow are developed in ways that advance human dignity, expand opportunity and improve the lives of all our people," he concluded.
Source: South African Government News Agency (SAnews) | The Presidency of South Africa
For more information, visit: SA News & The Presidency
