Kathy Gibson reports from Google Cloud Summit in Johannesburg – For too long Africa has had to play digital catchup, dependent on the technologies of more industrialised nations.
But the artificial intelligence (AI) era gives the continent an opportunity to take control of its own industrialisation and growth, says South African president Cyril Ramaphosa.
Speaking at the Google Cloud Summit taking place in Sandton today – the first time the event is being held in Africa – Ramaphosa says Africa has the opportunity today to position itself within the defining technological revolution of our time.
“Every economic transformation has been powered by new infrastructure, innovations and ways of doing things,” he says. “Cloud computing and artificial intelligence (AI) will power the new economies of the 21st century.
“And Africa intends to not merely participate in that future but to help shape it,” he adds. “We have the bright minds and intellectual capital to allow us to do that.
“We are no longer simply adopting technologies developed elsewhere.”
Ramaphosa points out that a substantial part of the global cloud ecosystem sits in Africa, with demand for cloud and scalable AI growing exponentially.
At the same time, he believes that South Africa is a mature market for digital investment. “Seventy percent of Africa’s hyperscale data centres are in South Africa. And we are also a major hub for tech startups.”
At the same time, the country continues to make structural reforms in the network industries and infrastructural parts of the economy, he adds.
Ramaphosa points to Operation Vulindlela, which aims to build comprehensive public digital infrastructure to server as the backbone of a modern economy that supports digitisation, fosters financial inclusion and scales up delivery of public services.
“Cloud and AI are reshaping the landscape at unprecedented pace,” he says. “As South Africa we are ready to harness these shifts to transform our economy. AI is not simply another technology innovation: it is a general purpose technology comparable to electricity the Internet and the steam engine that will reshape every industry professional and aspect of public life.
“It presents a key strategic opportunity for Africa to embrace the digital infrastructure of the 21st century,” Ramaphosa says.
“I envision a South Africa where businesses and industry – and government – have adopted AI-enabled services at scale. We envision a South Africa where these technologies are rapidly deployed, enabling us to modernise public administration, education, transportation, public infrastructure and the delivery of public services.”
Cloud and AI matter, he adds, because they can increase productivity for both individuals as well as businesses, government and the economy as a whole.
“As Africa, we no longer want to be passengers – we want to be right there in developing this new technology.”