China’s Huawei has established an Innovation Center in South Africa, a move that has been welcomed by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa.
Speaking at the launch event in Johannesburg, Ramaphosa commended Huawei for its confidence in the South African economy and its potential. He emphasized that embracing Huawei’s new technologies would enable Africa to leapfrog into the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
Huawei faced sanctions in the United States in 2019 due to concerns over Beijing’s alleged attempts to monopolize networks and potential espionage activities. Despite this, the company already holds a significant digital presence in Africa, where connectivity remains a challenge for many regions.
President Ramaphosa, accompanied by Chinese Ambassador Chen Xiaodong and Huawei sub-Saharan Africa’s president, Leo Chen, attended the inauguration of the innovation center.
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Ramaphosa noted that digital infrastructure expansion is crucial for South Africa’s economic growth and competitiveness. He highlighted the center’s focus on knowledge and skills transfer, as well as the development of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMMEs) and local talent.
Ambassador Chen, in a statement by Huawei, expressed China’s readiness to support South Africa in accelerating the application of 5G technology. Leo Chen, the president of Huawei sub-Saharan Africa, praised South Africa’s vision for the digital economy and its role in 5G deployment and industrial digital transformation.
President Ramaphosa also expressed his appreciation for Huawei’s plans to invest in data centers and cybersecurity industries in Africa. He expressed hope that the Huawei Innovation Center would contribute to job creation and the establishment of new local information and communication technology (ICT) enterprises in South Africa.
The strong relations between Pretoria and Beijing, coupled with their membership in the BRICS group of emerging nations, have laid the foundation for collaboration in various fields, including technology and innovation.
