Huawei has much to be proud of after 20 years
GLOBAL information and communications technology (ICT) infrastructure provider and smart devices maker Huawei is celebrating 20 years of operations in Africa.
Africa was among the first few locations Huawei chose as it started to expand out of China.
In 1998, it sent a team from the Asian powerhouse to set up its business on this continent.
Li Peng, Huawei Southern Africa’s president, said over two decades of working with partners to enhance ICT infrastructure and empower African people, Huawei had witnessed and contributed to changes and progress that had revolutionised the way people connect, learn and entertain.
“We are committed to leapfrog the process of building a better-connected Africa,” said Peng.
Celebrations began with a gala dinner at the recently-concluded AfricaCom event in Cape Town, South Africa.
Dr Siyabonga Cwele, South Africa’s Minister for Telecommunications and Postal Services, lauded Huawei as one of his government’s most important partners.
The minister pointed out in the past two decades, in partnership with governments and telcos, Huawei had boosted ICT infrastructure in the region, deploying first 2G, 3G, 4G and 4.5G networks respectively in various countries and conducted Africa’s first outdoor 5G field trial.
He presented an Award of Excellence to Huawei South Africa.
In addition to providing customers with communications networks, Huawei proactively fulfils its corporate social responsibility using its core technologies and capabilities.
It has two innovation centres and four training centres in the region.
These enable the firm to develop and nurture an ecosystem for joint efforts with industrial and academic partners in tailoring ICT solutions bridging the digital divide and build ing a strong ICT talent pool.
“Huawei will continue its contribution to growing Africa’s telecoms industries and fully releasing ICT’s enabling power,” said Peng.