Google chooses South Africa for first cloud region in continent
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Google (NASDAQ:GOOGL) (NASDAQ:GOOG) has launched its first cloud region in Africa, choosing South Africa as the site. The tech giant's global network spans 35 cloud regions and 106 zones, but has lagged behind peers such as Microsoft (MSFT) and Amazon Web Services (AMZN) in strengthening its position in the continent.

Niral Patel, Google Cloud Africa director, said: "We are excited to announce the first Google Cloud region in Africa. The new region will allow for the localization of applications and services. It will make it really easier for our customers and partners to quickly deploy solutions for their businesses, whereby theyâre able to leverage our computer artificial intelligence or machine learning capabilities, and data analytics to make smarter business decisions as they go forward."
The firm is building dedicated cloud interconnect that link on-premises networks with Googleâs grid in Nairobi (Kenya), Lagos (Nigeria), and South Africa (Capetown and Johannesburg). These sites will be powered by Google's Equiano private subsea cable, which has been under development since 2019.