South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has inaugurated officially the Huawei Innovation Center in Woodmead, Johannesburg.
President Ramaphosa has stated that facilities like this innovation hub, along with the adoption of a number of cutting-edge technologies pioneered by companies like Huawei, will enable South Africa and the rest of the African continent to leapfrog into the Fourth Industrial Revolution. .
According to Huawei South Africa, the newly launched Innovation Center serves to foster and encourage co-innovation with Huawei’s South African partners, application developers and SMEs (small, medium and micro-enterprises) in the field of ICT. It also showcases Huawei’s latest and most innovative digital technologies and solutions, such as 5G, Cloud, and AI.
After the inauguration ceremony and the visit to the facilities, President Ramaphosa declared that both the Innovation Center solutions and the ICT knowledge exhibited by Huawei employees are “impressive and encouraging”.
He said that initiatives such as the Innovation Center are firmly in line with the South African government’s policy of emphasizing digital technologies for economic development.
“We hope that this Innovation Center will be a springboard for the launch of new local ICT companies that create jobs,” he said. “We hope it will be a springboard for new business processes that grow our economy and support our national development goals.”
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President Ramaphosa also recognized the role of information and communication technologies in helping various industries embark on digital transformation.
After the inauguration ceremony and the visit to the facilities, President Ramaphosa declared that both the Innovation Center solutions and the ICT knowledge exhibited by Huawei employees are “impressive and encouraging”.
“The application of digital technologies to improve production processes covers a wide range of economic sectors, from mining to ports, through transportation and others,” he said. “Last year, for example, the first 5G coal mine was commissioned in South Africa through a partnership with Huawei, a partnership between Huawei and its industry and telecommunications partners. This center is a sign of Huawei’s confidence in the South African economy and its potential.”
The president also said that the South African government has focused on various structural reforms to stimulate the development of the digital economy.
“Among the measures we have taken include the high-demand spectrum auction that took place last year, which – along with digital migration – will significantly expand broadband access and reduce data costs,” he said. Digital migration refers to the South African blackout of analogue broadcast signals and the migration to digital technology.
The president expressed his hope that the Innovation Center would focus on the transfer of knowledge and skills, as well as the development of SMEs. He congratulated Huawei’s work in cultivating local digital talent through its LEAP digital talent program, ICT academies and Tech4All-DigiSchool projects.
Chinese Ambassador His Excellency Chen Xiaodong said that in the framework of cooperation between South Africa and China, the launch of Huawei’s innovation center demonstrates that the private business sector and Chinese players are willing to stand by China’s South Africa to accelerate the deployment of 5G applications and jointly embrace the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
Leo Chen, President of Huawei Sub-Saharan Africa, said: “We have been encouraged by the South African government’s strong vision for its digital economy. South Africa is becoming a role model for the continent, as well as on the global stage, in fields such as 5G deployment and 5G-powered industrial digital transformation.”
He added that Huawei is proud to embark on this digital journey together with the South African government and its business partners. Chen stressed that Huawei is fully committed to further contributing to the development of the country’s ICT infrastructure and digitization of the industry by introducing the latest technologies to South Africa. And Huawei will continuously help educate young South Africans so they can participate in and benefit from the digital economy.
President Ramaphosa was accompanied by a delegation consisting of Stella Ndabeni Abrahams, Minister of Small Business Development, Sindisiwe Chikunga, Minister of Transport, Cassel Mathale, Deputy Minister of Police, Philly Mapulane, Deputy Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies, Itiseng Morolong, Deputy Minister of the Presidency, Phindile Baleni, Director General and Cabinet Secretary, Roshene Singh, Deputy Director General, and Vincent Magwenya, Spokesperson for the President.
