Cloud computing has become a foundational technology for digital transformation across Africa. As regional data centres expand and connectivity improves, more organisations are moving critical applications and data to cloud platforms.
The economics of cloud are compelling: instead of investing heavily in physical infrastructure, organisations can pay for what they use, adjust capacity on demand, and access a wide range of managed services. This flexibility is particularly attractive to high-growth businesses and those experimenting with new digital products.
However, cloud adoption also introduces new complexities. Cost management can be challenging when teams spin up resources without strong governance. Security responsibilities are shared between providers and customers, and misconfigurations are a common source of breaches. Data residency and compliance requirements must be carefully managed.
To succeed with cloud, African enterprises need clear strategies. They should define which workloads belong in public, private, or hybrid environments; establish standard patterns for identity, access, and architecture; and build the skills required to design, operate, and secure cloud-native systems.
Organisations that approach cloud with intentionality will gain more than just infrastructure savings. They will be able to innovate faster, integrate data more effectively, and support advanced use cases such as AI, real-time analytics and digital platforms.