by MTHULISI SIBANDA
JOHANNESBURG, (CAJ News) – THE new National Data and Cloud Policy positions South Africa as a leader in the digital economy by creating a thriving environment for innovation and growth in the cloud sector.
This is according to the Department of Communications and Digital Technologies Director-General, Nonkqubela Jordan-Dyani.
“Huawei and similar companies have a critical role to play in realising these ambitions,” she said at the Huawei Cloud Summit in Johannesburg.
The Department of Communications and Digital Technologies officially published the policy at the end of May, in line with the Electronic Communications Act.
It is a framework to promote a secure, sovereign digital ecosystem for both the public and private sectors.
The policy also focuses on data sovereignty, which is localizing sensitive data to ensure national security and promote economic benefits. It encourages investment in local data centres, which enhances business continuity and reduces dependency on foreign infrastructure.
Jordan-Dyani said public cloud infrastructure would play a key role in accelerating digital transformation across sectors.
The vision of the coalition government is to leverage information and communications technologies to drive inclusive growth and job creation, reduce poverty and tackle high cost of living and build a capable and ethical developmental state.
Huawei Cloud has been offering services in South Africa for five years.
Officials at the summit disclosed that clients have exceeded 1 000, among them government, carriers and financial institutions.
– CAJ News