Pan-African telco Vodacom is set to partner with Google Cloud.

The agreement will see Vodacom migrating its data platforms to Google Cloud, as well as adopting Google's AI capabilities.

The migration will enable Vodacom to unify its data assets and use AI to improve its operational efficiency and offer new AI-powered services to customers.

The company intends to develop new solutions for the African market, starting with fintech services and later looking to develop enterprise solutions.

"This collaboration is more than a technology upgrade; it is a deep commitment to Africa's digital revolution," said Shameel Joosub, CEO of Vodacom.

"Integrating Google Cloud's data and AI solutions into our business will modernize our infrastructure and fundamentally shift our operational paradigm. This collaboration is essential for us to build and deploy solutions that address the unique challenges and opportunities of the continent, ensuring the transformative power of AI is accessible to millions of customers and businesses across Africa."

Maureen Costello, VP of UKI and SSA at Google Cloud, added: "Google Cloud is proud to support Vodacom in accelerating AI across Africa. By providing access to our most advanced generative AI models from Gemini and our leading data infrastructure, we are supporting Vodacom's ambitious vision to build technology solutions that improve the lives of Africans."

Vodacom Group is a subsidiary of Vodafone. According to DataCenterMap, Vodacom currently operates nine data centers across various African markets, including Mozambique, South Africa, Tanzania, and Lesotho.

Google currently operates one cloud region in Africa, located in Johannesburg, South Africa. The region launched in January 2024.

Earlier this month, Vodacom signed a satellite broadband deal with Starlink. Under that agreement, Starlink will help deliver low-latency broadband Internet to millions of businesses across Africa and expand rural network coverage.