Microsoft South Africa has responded to the Afrika Tikkun Mfuleni center’s need for a greater student-centric IT facility. By outfitting the Zolile Malindi Centre of Excellence in Cape Town with a new computer lab. The new computer lab is larger, has modern computers and will be able to sit sixty students per class.
“Until recently we had two computer labs that could only accommodate 44 learners at a time. This wasn’t sufficient for all the learners the centre caters to daily. Often we had learners pairing up at desks taking turns throughout lessons. In addition, the computers were outdated and the hard drives had started to fail.” Says Lizo Madinga, General Manager of the center, Sharing on the state of the center.
Microsoft’s contribution to the Afrika Tikkun computer Lab is a result of our intentions to accelerate the pace of inclusive digital transformation. Notes Anthony Putorek, Senior Lead Workforce Development Program Manager at Microsoft.
“We are living in a world that is underpinned by tech intensity. Whereby companies, communities and countries are leveraging digital tools and platforms to build solutions and services to better service the needs of the citizens and customer. But they can only do this if they have a skilled workforce to do so. As such, fostering in the development of computer skills in education remains an important aspect of what we believe in.”
Lizo Madinga expresses gratitude to Microsoft South Africa for the amazing gift of upgrading the computer lab. She added, “the centre is now able to accommodate 60 learners per class in a much larger and visually appealing space. Giving meaning to the principle of leaving no-one behind.”
Today we are at or Mfuleni center in Cape Town about to launch the opening of our new computer labs that where so generously donated by Microsoft. Thank you for all that you have done in making the lives of our young people better and in assisting them to develop their skills. pic.twitter.com/5DaVi1oPjL
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Microsoft announced the Africa Development Center with plans to recruit about 100 full-time software engineers by the end of 2019. Latest details show the company is far from reaching this target. As only about seventy roles and positions have been filled as at January 2020.
Jack Ngare, Managing Director, Africa Development Center Kenya, made this revelation speaking as a panelist on the Monday Report’s town hall session on Citizen TV Kenya. The town hall discussion was on the ‘Future of work – Rethinking Our Education, Training in Relation to Work Opportunities’.
Jack was answering a question on if Microsoft considers only technical skills for employment. He shared the “Africa development center is nearing seventy [software] engineers. We recognize at a lot of things related to skills. The last thing we look at is your university degree. We have a couple of engineers who did not go to university. These are Kenyans we are talking about. We respect more the skills and what your capabilities are. Your work ethics and attitude towards work.”
He noted that Microsoft is pumping resources into organizations through partnerships such as the AppFactory with Africa Digital Media Institute to upskill students.
Watch Microsoft Africa Development Center recruitment conversation below.
Microsoft plans to recruitment 500 software engineers for the Africa Development Center by 2023.
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The company made this announcement noting key investments in the Israeli market. The investments include the launch of a new Microsoft cloud datacenter region in Israel in 2021. Microsoft says these investments reinforce its continuous commitment to the Israeli market.
The new Microsoft Israel campus is a modern workplace with a futuristic outlook. The buildings from renditions are eco friendly and has an open garden on every floor. Check out images below.
Images of New Microsoft Israel Campus
Microsoft Israel General Manager, Ronit Atad had this to say about the investment in the country.
“Microsoft has made a strategic decision to invest in the Israeli market. This investment marks an extremely important milestone in the company’s engagement with the startup nation, as we recently marked the 30th anniversary of our presence in the country. Public sector entities, enterprise companies and developers will have access to scalable, highly available, and resilient cloud services to accelerate their digital transformation journeys. This will help them better engage customers, empower employees, optimize operations, and transform products and services from the new cloud region in Israel. Microsoft Israel is partnering with those organizations to ensure their success on their digital transformation journey.”
In 1989 Microsoft opened its first branch in Israel. Thirty years on it operates a business branch, Research and development center, Venture Capital Fund and Microsoft Reactor.
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Microsoft will establish a new datacenter region in Israel in 2021. The Israel datacenter will start by offering customers Azure cloud services and followed later by Office 365 services. The new datacenter region will enable customers use Microsoft’s advanced technologies. Whiles adhering to data residency requirements to store data within Israel.
This will bring to six, the total number of Microsoft datacenters in the Middle East and Africa region. Increasing Microsoft’s global cloud infrastructure to 56 cloud regions. Israel and Qatar cloud regions planned to go live in 2021.
Offering Microsoft Azure and Office 365 from a datacenter region in Israel forms a key part of our investment, shares Michel van der Bel, President, Microsoft Europe, Middle East and Africa.
When I speak to customers across EMEA, it is clear that the power of the cloud is essential for their competitiveness. We have made significant infrastructure investments in the region. As infrastructure is an essential building block for the tech intensity that public sector entities and businesses need to embrace.
Microsoft believes startups in the country will benefit greatly from the local datacenter in tangent with its startup program.
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Over 600 industry leaders, entrepreneurs and investors across Africa will gather in Kigali, Rwanda for the annual Africa Tech Summit aimed at connecting the African technology ecosystem.
Microsoft’s Africa business and market development engine, 4Afrika, is a sponsor of the event. The company will share insights on artificial intelligence(AI) in Africa and leveraging partnerships to scale businesses. As well as engaging the community on leveraging its tools, solutions, platform and network.
Microsoft will steer conversation about AI and what AI is doing in Africa during the keynote and panel session at the Future Summit on day one.
On day two of Africa Tech Summit, the company will host a fireside chat for startups. On how they can leverage on partnerships to scale their businesses at the Africa Start-up summit.
The Pan-African tech event will bring together industry leaders, startups, investors and corporates from across the region.
DynExcAfrica brings digital skills training to girls in northern Cote d’Ivoire with support from Microsoft Philanthropies. The initiative dubbed DynExcAfrica STEM Tour, skilled six hundred and seventy two girls across M’bengué, Dikodougou, Sinématiali and Korhogo.
Étape de M’bengué terminée. 2 jours d’apprentissage et de partage des @STEM avec 248 filles. Objectif très atteint on attendait 200 filles. Nous avons semé la graine de la technologie. Merci à notre partenaire @Microsfot. pic.twitter.com/0AwZ6ts6MV
The tour is an initiative by DynExcAfrica to encourage girls pursure STEM programs. With the aim of bridging the digital divide, Fognon Maimouna KONE, founder of the initiative shares. She also seeks to reach girls in underserved areas of Côte d’Ivoire with the training.
She notes the initiative is an opportunity for girls outside the capital city to familiarize themselves with digital technology and become agents of technological evolution in Africa.
Ce que nous recherchons c’est de réduire la fracture numérique féminine qui est très forte dans des villes en dehors de la capitale. Donner la chance aux de se familiariser avec le numérique et être des actrices principales de l’évolution technologique en Afrique car elles ont le potentiel. Leur faire connaitre les challenges de la technologie, le monde de la programmation. Permettre aux filles d’apprendre à travers la pratique la magie de la science afin qu’elles n’aient plus peur de la série scientifique.
Other partners of the tour include Learning for all, Simplon CI, We Fly Agri, AfricaBot and BoraKids.
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