HARARE – Huawei Cloud’s partner-first business model is driving remarkable growth for hundreds of technology partners across Africa, as the Chinese tech giant continues to expand its cloud footprint across the continent.
According to a report by BusinessTech, Huawei Cloud now boasts more than 450 partners in South Africa and over 3,000 partners across sub-Saharan Africa, marking a major milestone since its local debut in 2018.
Diego Han, Director of Eco-System Development for Huawei Cloud Sub-Saharan Africa, said the company’s strategy hinges on empowering partners through cutting-edge technology, infrastructure investment, and attractive incentive programmes.
“Our philosophy in this market is partner-first because Huawei is primarily a technology company and we don’t compete with partners,” Han told BusinessTech.
“We depend on the experience and long-term customer relationships our partners have built in the region.”
Han added that Huawei Cloud’s Partner Network Programme (HCPN) offers partners advanced training, technical support, marketing assistance, and access to the company’s latest innovations ahead of competitors.
Driving Local Innovation
Huawei Cloud operates three local availability zones in South Africa, classifying it as a Tier 1 region — meaning partners gain early access to new solutions. The company has also introduced two main frameworks, Grow Cloud and Go Cloud, to support partners at different stages of their digital transformation journey.
Under these programmes, partners receive training and certification to deliver cloud migration, managed services, and software development. More than 540 South African professionals have already been certified through Huawei Cloud’s regional training initiatives.
“Our platform is a pure cloud-native and AI-native public cloud platform,” Han explained. “It enables our partners to deliver secure, reliable, and advanced solutions to their customers.”
Expanding Market Presence
Huawei Cloud’s partner network has experienced an average growth of 65% year-on-year, while overall business growth has surged between 150% and 200% annually over the past five years.
Han noted that this outpaces many other hyperscalers operating in the African market.
Local distributor First Distribution has been one of the notable success stories, leveraging Huawei Cloud’s wide array of services to expand its reseller portfolio and accelerate market growth.
Future Opportunities
While Huawei Cloud has already made inroads into financial services and the public sector, Han sees untapped potential in mining, manufacturing, retail, and media industries.
“There are many industries we are moving to explore, together with our partners,” he said. “This also means opportunities for new partners to join our network if they have the right capabilities and industry relationships.”
To attract new collaborators, Huawei Cloud hosts workshops and demonstrations at its Innovation Centre in Woodmead, Johannesburg, offering prospective partners insights into its cloud technologies and use cases.
“Together, we bring to market a comprehensive cloud portfolio of world-class technology, local support, and integration,” Han said. “Our goal is to empower local partners to thrive in the digital economy.”
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