While the R5.4 billion data centre investment was the main headline in Microsoft’s big announcement this week, its digital skills training initiative is equally important. Having big servers is a huge boost for South Africa and Africa’s economy. Microsoft says it has already spent R20.4 billion in the last three years and that anyone who uses cloud services will have noticed.
But the most important thing in the cloud these days is AI – and those new AI services need something to run on. If those servers are in the country, there’s less latency to contend with and the quality is generally better. And the skills that will be needed in the future will almost certainly involve AI in some way.
Microsoft commits to training SA youth
In January, Microsoft said it would train another one million young Africans in digital skills – part of a skills program it has been running for several years. Now it says it will pay for the exams and certificates for 50,000 South Africans. These qualifications are essential for finding jobs.
Those “high-demand” skills include AI, data science, cybersecurity analysis, and cloud solution architecture. “These are precisely the certificates and skills that win people jobs,” Microsoft’s vice chair and president Brad Smith told me.
With a “Microsoft certificate for something like cloud architecture or cyber security or AI, you’re going to be able to get a job,” he says. “We’re in effect paying for people so they can get the training and take the certification exams.”
He says, quite rightly, that “infrastructure and skilling go together. They’re the two foundational layers, if you will, that an AI economy is built upon.”
“And I think hopefully what we’re doing here today is going to help the whole AI sector, the digital technology sector in South Africa continue to grow at even a faster pace.”
President Cyril Ramaphosa praised Microsoft for its investment.
“Microsoft’s investment signals to the business and investor community that South Africa’s economy continues to hold immense potential and that it is a favourable place to do business where their investments are secure,” he said.
“This company really has an African heart.”
Here’s the full conversation between Stuff‘s editor-in-chief Toby Shapshak and the Vice Chair and President at Microsoft Corporation, Brad Smith.
