Microsoft has announced an additional investment of 5.4 billion rand ($296.81 million) to develop its artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure in South Africa, the company’s Vice President and Chairman Brad Smith announced at an event in Johannesburg on Thursday.
As part of its commitment to digital development, Microsoft will also fund technical certification exams for 50,000 people, focusing on high-demand digital skills.
The investment aligns with Microsoft’s broader strategy to expand AI and cloud-based services. In January, the company announced plans to allocate approximately $80 billion in fiscal 2025 to develop data centers that support AI model training and deployment.