Werner Vogels, Chief Technology Officer and Vice President at Amazon, announced plans to establish development centres across the continent.
Vogels revealed this during his visit to Lagos, Nigeria, where he engaged with local tech leaders and participated in events aimed at fostering innovation.
He emphasised Amazon’s commitment to tapping into the continent’s burgeoning tech talent by highlighting that despite concerns about talent migration, Africa, and Nigeria in particular, continue to be rich sources of skilled professionals.
The development centres will be a dedicated facility where engineers and technologists build, test, and scale software products or infrastructure, often serving both local and global markets.
“Amazon wants to follow where the talent is,” he stated, underscoring the company’s strategy to align its growth with regions demonstrating significant technological prowess.
During his visit, Vogels met with the executive team of SeamlessHR, an African HR technology company headquartered in Ikeja, Lagos. The company, which serves over 2,000 businesses across 20 African countries, recently secured a $9 million funding round led by the Gates Foundation and Helios Digital Ventures, bringing its total funding to $22 million.
This investment aims to enhance workforce productivity through innovative solutions, including AI-driven workforce management technology.
Vogels’ visit also included participation in the AWS Builders’ Day event in Lagos, where he engaged with developers and tech enthusiasts.
Amazon Web Services (AWS) has been steadily increasing its footprint in Africa. Since launching its Africa (Cape Town) Region in 2020, AWS has invested over R15.6 billion (approximately $874 million) in South Africa and plans to invest an additional R30.4 billion (about $1.7 billion) by 2029.
These investments are projected to contribute over R80 billion to South Africa’s GDP and support thousands of local jobs annually.
Vogels’ announcement signals a strategic move by Amazon to deepen its engagement with Africa’s tech ecosystem. By establishing development centres, Amazon can harness local talent and foster innovation that caters to both regional and global markets.
As Africa continues to emerge as a hub for technological innovation, Amazon’s commitment to building development centres on the continent reflects a broader recognition of the region’s potential to contribute significantly to the global tech industry.
