As generative AI (GenAI) reshapes the global technology landscape, CloudZA is positioning itself at the forefront of this transformation in Africa. With a mission to democratise AI and deliver locally relevant, high-impact solutions, the South African cloud consultancy is helping businesses unlock new levels of productivity, efficiency and innovation.
“Generative AI is more than a technological leap; it’s a foundational shift in how Africa can leapfrog legacy systems and accelerate inclusive growth,” says Jonathan Oaker, Founder and CEO at CloudZA. “We don’t see GenAI as a replacement for human potential, but as a catalyst for unlocking it.”
Local solutions for local challenges
CloudZA’s GenAI offerings are tailored to the African context. “We work from a uniquely South African perspective,” explains Matthew Nelson, Solutions Architect at CloudZA. “Our solutions are cost-efficient, inclusive and often integrate local languages. That’s a major differentiator from global competitors.”
One such innovation is CloudZA’s Statement of Work Engine, a GenAI-powered tool that translates technical documentation into South African languages, making it more accessible across diverse teams. “We’re not just building tools, we’re building tools that speak to our people,” adds Oaker.
CloudZA’s GenAI solutions are already making waves across multiple sectors.
- Call centres: By integrating GenAI into call centre operations, CloudZA enables real-time transcription, summarisation and quality assurance across thousands of calls. “What used to take hours can now be done in minutes,” says Nelson. “It’s a game-changer for customer service and compliance.”
- Finance: CloudZA is automating loan approvals and credit card workflows in the financial sector while enhancing fraud detection using historical data patterns.
- Healthcare: GenAI is helping healthcare providers analyse patient data, generate personalised insights and even recommend additional services based on usage patterns. “It’s about turning data into action, fast,” says Oaker.
Ethical AI and responsible modernisation
CloudZA is deeply committed to the ethical and responsible use of AI. “We make customers aware of potential biases in global models and ensure that our solutions are trained on clean, vetted and localised data,” says Blaze McArthur, Presales Architect at CloudZA.
The company also implements strict guardrails through prompt engineering and retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) techniques. “We ring-fence models to ensure they only interact with the customer’s data, not the broader internet,” McArthur explains.
CloudZA’s approach aligns with emerging global standards, including ISO certifications for AI ethics and security. “We’re building AI that’s not only powerful but also trustworthy,” adds Oaker.
Recognising the skills gap in South Africa’s tech ecosystem, CloudZA is actively investing in local talent. “We run year-long programmes that take in unemployed youth, train them in cloud and AI technologies, and either hire them or place them in partner organisations,” says Oaker.
Nelson notes a growing interest in AI education, especially from private institutions. “There’s a push to integrate GenAI into local languages and curricula, but more needs to be done, especially from a government perspective.”
CloudZA also leads AWS-backed GenAI workshops across industries, helping businesses explore use cases, build proofs of concept and deploy production-ready solutions in just a few weeks.
Why GenAI and where to start
Despite perceptions of high costs, CloudZA emphasises that GenAI is more accessible than many realise. “We’ve built call centre solutions that cost as little as $15 per user,” says Oaker. “And with tools such as AWS Bedrock, we can cache prompts and reduce token usage, significantly lowering the total cost of ownership.”
The company’s four-day GenAI workshop model, spanning ideation, use case development, proof of concept and deployment, ensures that clients walk away with tangible value and a clear path to ROI.
“Generative AI is becoming an extension of business, just like the smartphone became an extension of the human hand,” says Oaker. “It’s not about replacing jobs, it’s about making them more efficient and impactful.”
McArthur adds, “GenAI isn’t just an add-on. It’s a workforce multiplier that can streamline operations, improve customer experiences and even reshape business models.”
CloudZA invites partners, clients and innovators to co-create the future of AI in Africa. “We believe Africa’s greatest solutions will be built by Africans, for Africans, with the power of AI embedded locally,” Oaker concludes.
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