Google Cloud held its first Cloud Summit in Africa at the Sandton Convention Centre in South Africa, attracting 3,000 attendees including business leaders, developers, and public sector representatives. The event focused on the continent's digital transformation and introduced new investments in Agentic AI and infrastructure.

Google has announced plans to deploy engineers in the African region to support local customers, as part of its vision for the agentic enterprise, revealed during the first Cloud Summit event on the continent.

Farouk Ramji, CEO of Mawingu, discusses the potential for Africa's next tech revolution to emerge from rural communities rather than traditional urban centers like Nairobi and Lagos. He highlights how Mawingu, as Kenya's largest ISP for rural and peri-urban areas, is contributing to this transformation by fostering innovation and attracting investment in less populated regions.

In Uganda, many workers are shifting from traditional office or factory jobs to platform-based work facilitated by smartphones. This includes various roles such as boda riders, delivery drivers, freelance graphic designers, and small traders utilizing digital marketplaces. This trend highlights the growing importance of digital work in the Ugandan economy, providing new opportunities for thousands of individuals.

At the first Cloud Summit for Africa, Google announced its plan to invest R3 million in establishing a digital innovation centre in Soweto. This initiative aims to foster digital skills and innovation in the region.

The Kenyan government is emphasizing the role of technology in enhancing productivity, efficiency, and service delivery within the public sector, as stated by John Tanui, Principal Secretary. This initiative aims to reform public services through technological advancements.