Google expands its presence in Africa

Google has planned a cloud service in Africa as part of a plan to invest about $1 billion.

By doing so, Google has increased competition with Microsoft Corp and Amazon.com Inc and Amazon Web Services in Africa's most developed economy.

Niral Patel, director of Google Cloud Africa, told Bloomberg that Google has placed its cloud infrastructure in South Africa, but users will have a choice of where to store their data.

South Africa will join Google Cloud's worldwide network of 35 cloud regions and 106 zones around the world.

Google believes that cloud services located in South Africa could bring about $2.1 billion to the economy of the country and help create more than 40,000 jobs by 2030.

To build cloud infrastructure on the continent, Google is laying submarine cables and creating cloud interconnections in cities such as Lagos, Nairobi, Cape Town and Johannesburg.