Digital giant Amazon and its cloud computing subsidiary Amazon Web Services (AWS) have today announced the launch of a new location in Johannesburg, South Africa. The company decided to create this new site to meet the increasing demand for its services from customers.
The new office will now support South Africa’s expanding cloud industry, the company said in a statement, and offer a variety of services to businesses and government organizations of all kinds. This support is to aid innovation, cut expenses associated with information technology (IT), and hasten cloud migrations.
Amazon Targets the South African Market
According to AWS, the opening of the new office is another of Amazon’s investments in South Africa. AWS originally began in Cape Town in 2004, establishing a development center to advance, among other things, networking-focused technology, cutting-edge customer support software, and software utilized by AWS.
In 2020, Amazon introduced the Africa (Cape Town) Region, the first AWS Infrastructure Region in South Africa to further demonstrate its dedication to the continent. The AWS Region enables companies and government agencies of all sizes to develop cloud apps and store their data locally. It also enables remote working while still connecting to end clients throughout Africa even with lower latency.
This year, however, the Cape Town High Court prevented the construction of the new Amazon Africa headquarters in the city. According to reports, the High Court blocked the plan because Amazon did not follow the correct procedures to buy the land. According to reports, Amazon’s decision-making didn’t consider the local native population.
AWS Wants to Tap from Joburg’s Extensive Talent
“Johannesburg offers an incredible talent pool of highly skilled and creative people. It is home to many notable South African enterprises leading the way in digital innovation as well as fast-growing startups,” said Chris Erasmus, Country Manager at AWS.
“The new office will support customers to innovate, lower their IT costs, and grow their organizations by leveraging the cloud. We look forward to fostering the country’s pioneering spirit alongside our customers by helping them accelerate their digital transformation and deliver innovative new products and services to the South African economic landscape,” he explained.
Tebogo Mokwena, Co-founder and CEO of Akiba Digital, a South African startup, received news about the new AWS office in Johannesburg. The Tech CEO had something to say regarding the development.
“[The office] further accelerates our country’s digital transformation and inclusive financial services, which in turn drive growth. This is what Akiba Digital is solving with AWS, cloud-based financial services that foster participation in AWS startup programs,” Mokwena said.
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