After numerous declarations, global tech giants are gradually deploying their investments in Africa. This time Google is investing in the development of top-tier infrastructure. 

U.S. technology giant Google on Wednesday announced the opening of its first data center in Africa, located in Johannesburg, South Africa.

The facility, part of Google's $1 billion investment to boost Africa's digital transformation, is designed to support businesses on the continent with cloud computing resources needed to "evolve, innovate and compete in the global marketplace," according to a company press release.

"This marks our 40th cloud region globally, connecting Johannesburg to our secure global network," the release said, adding the center would offer Google Cloud services to businesses across Africa.

Google estimates Africa's internet economy could reach $180 billion by 2025, representing 5.2% of the continent's GDP. However, Google faces competition in the growing African cloud market. Rivals like Oracle, Amazon Web Services, and Microsoft already have a presence, while local players like Africa Data Centres are also vying for market share.

Adoni Conrad Quenum