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Ramaphosa said Microsoft's presence in South Africa was a "vote of confidence" in Pretoria and the economy.
The Honourable President of the Republic of South Cyril Ramaphosa with Brad Smith Vice Chair and President at Microsoft. Picture: Microsoft
President Cyril Ramaphosa has seemingly thrown a jab at the United States (US) amid simmering tensions between US President Donald Trump’s administration and South Africa, saying Microsoft’s 30-year presence in the country was a “vote of confidence”.
Ramaphosa delivered the keynote address on Thursday at the Microsoft South Africa investment announcement launch in Johannesburg.
Microsoft’s plans
Microsoft announced plans to spend R5.4 billion by the end of 2027 to expand its cloud and artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure in South Africa to meet the growing demand for Microsoft Azure services in the region.
This investment builds on the company’s R 20.4 billion investment over the past three years to establish the nation’s first enterprise-grade data centres in Johannesburg and Cape Town.
Watch President Cyril Ramaphosa at Microsoft SA investment event
President Cyril Ramaphosa has seemingly thrown a jab at the US amid simmering tensions between Donald Trump’s administration and South Africa, saying Microsoft's 30-year presence in the country was a "vote of confidence". #MicrosoftSA #CyrilRamaphosa @TheNamibian pic.twitter.com/DqzaurxsYi
— 𝙵𝚊𝚒𝚣𝚎𝚕 𝙿𝚊𝚝𝚎𝚕 ⚡️ (@FaizelPatel143) March 7, 2025
‘African heart’
Responding to Microsoft’s investments, Ramaphosa relayed a conversation with Brad Smith, Microsoft’s vice chairman and president, about the company Bill Gates founded, which has a footprint in South Africa.
“As we were talking earlier with Brad, I said, ‘Brad, you are very brave. You’re very brave to have come out during this geo’… And that’s when I saw that this company really has an African heart. The company’s commitment to Africa and to South Africa has been solid and also very dependable over the more than 30 years that Microsoft has been here.”
Tensions between SA and the US have reached an all-time high since US President Donald Trump assumed office for a second term.
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Empowering South Africans
Microsoft has had a constant presence in South Africa virtually since the dawn of democracy, having opened up its first offices here in 1992.
Ramaphosa said the company was actively working to empower young South Africans with skills for the digital economy.
“We are particularly excited about the launch of the National AI Skilling Initiative that will focus on providing AI skills training for public servants. We look forward to the signing of the MOU [memorandum of understanding] between Microsoft, the National School of Government and the National Electronic Media Institute of South Africa.”
Cybersecurity
Ramaphosa said the country was in the process of finalising the Cybersecurity Bill, which would ensure secure online government services.
“This will ensure more secure online government services and enable our citizens to transact and conduct online services safely.
“ As part of our work to reform the public service and build the capability of the state, we are investing in digital public infrastructure to give South Africans access to government services anytime, anywhere,” Ramaphosa said.
ALSO READ: Microsoft to build new data centre in Centurion
‘Vote of confidence’
Ramaphosa added that beyond blazing a trail in the local technology space, the longstanding presence of Microsoft in South Africa is a “vote of confidence” in the country and economy.
He added it was also commendable that Microsoft had achieved level one broad-based black economic empowerment status.
“This shows an exceptional commitment to our country’s empowerment goals, and we know that Microsoft has worked very hard to attain this level. And they’ve been walking this journey of transformation of change with us as a country.”
‘Historical imbalance’
Microsoft, said Ramaphosa, had demonstrated its commitment to “addressing the historical imbalances of South Africa’s past and to the fostering of an inclusive business environment”.
Ramaphosa added he was touched by Smith’s speech because he did an analysis of the disparity between the Global North and the Global South.
“And not many people from the north fully understand what the past that we’ve been through, and you mentioned the word colonialism, and in our case, we mentioned apartheid as well.”
Ramaphosa told Microsoft that South Africa was a country that was aspired by progress, being transformative, and wanted to move up the ladder in the digital economy.
G20
Ramaphosa said Microsoft’s commitment to supporting South Africa’s transition to a high-tech economy comes at a pivotal time when South Africa is hosting the G20.
“Using AI for sustainable development is among the priorities of our G20 Presidency. The Artificial Intelligence, Data Governance and Innovation for Sustainable Development Task Force will be leading this stream.
“As we look towards hosting the G20 Summit later this year, we are committed to ensuring that the adoption of new technologies catalyses Africa’s growth, industrialisation and progress. We are excited about partnering with Microsoft to make this a reality,” Ramaphosa said.
Microsoft in SA
Smith said customers across various industries in South Africa and Africa, including financial services, healthcare, retail, agriculture, mining, and the public sector, are already reaping the benefits of Microsoft cloud and AI technologies.
“For more than 30 years, Microsoft has been a committed partner to South Africa. This latest investment is part of our broader focus in helping South Africans build a future where technology drives prosperity and young workers have the skills they need to thrive,” Smith said.
Microsoft said the AI infrastructure operating in South Africa will be governed by Microsoft’s AI Access Principles, which reflect the company’s expanding role and responsibility as a “leader in AI that enables organisations and individuals to develop and use AI in ways that will serve the public good.”
ALSO READ: Microsoft close to realising dream of computers understanding humans
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