SA currently leads the continent in terms of cloud uptake, but it is about to be overtaken dramatically by Nigeria.
This was one of the key findings from the Cloud in Africa: Reality Check 2013 research study, conducted by World Wide Worx and Cisco. According to the study, cloud computing uptake is about to explode in Africa's major economies, as businesses gain confidence in both the security and reliability of the cloud.
The study was conducted among a small but representative sample of senior IT decision-makers in medium-sized and large companies in Nigeria, Kenya and SA.
In 2013, 50% of South African medium-sized and large businesses used cloud services, while a slightly lower proportion (48%) used the cloud in Kenya. Nigeria lags behind, with only 36% of businesses currently using the cloud, the study discovered.
It also found that a significant 44% of Nigerian businesses say they will embrace the cloud in the coming year, bringing the total number of business cloud users in that country to 80% by the end of 2014. This compares to 24% of organisations in Kenya and only 16% in SA saying they will take up cloud next year.
The key to the rapid adoption of cloud computing in Nigeria and Kenya can be found in the growing confidence IT decision-makers have in the environment. Even where confidence is not high, distrust in cloud has almost entirely disappeared, the study notes.
The survey showed that 57% of decision-makers across the three countries had high confidence in cloud security, while a further 34% were neutral - meaning they would wait and see, but were not negatively disposed towards it. Only one in 10 respondents did not trust cloud security.
An even higher level of confidence was expressed in the reliability of the cloud - 73% of respondents across the three countries expressed high confidence, while 25% were neutral on reliability.
Private cloud was the most popular platform in 2013, with 25% of organisations surveyed currently deploying this model, compared to 13% opting for hybrid cloud and only 7% opting for the public cloud. This trend is set to continue in 2014, with 32% of companies expecting to opt for the private cloud, compared to 18% for hybrid cloud and 16% for public cloud.
"Cloud computing is the next big step in the evolution of computing and the Internet," says David Meads, Cisco's VP for Africa.
"The broadband revolution sweeping Africa, and the continent's reputation for innovation, add up to tremendous appetite for services that will drive this evolution. Looking ahead, the 'Internet of Everything' represents the largest online trend today. As more people, things and devices connect to the Internet in Africa, more data from more places will be introduced across corporate and service provider networks, which will open up new opportunities and increase demand for the cloud."
"The fact that no one is expressing doubt about the reliability of the cloud means the final pieces of the puzzle are falling into place," says Arthur Goldstuck, MD of World Wide Worx. "Now the cloud becomes real in Africa."
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