South African president welcomes launch of Huawei Innovation Center

JOHANNESBURG, July 13 (Xinhua) -- South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on Thursday welcomed the launch of the Huawei Innovation Center in Johannesburg, the largest city in the country, saying the center will promote skills development and improve the country's competitiveness and economic growth.

"We welcome indications by (Chinese technology giant) Huawei that the company plans to invest substantially in data centers and cybersecurity industries in Africa. For South Africa, expanding digital infrastructure is one of the primary engines of economic growth," Ramaphosa said when attending the official launch of the center.

The investment by Huawei shows confidence in South Africa and its potential, Ramaphosa said, adding that he hoped the center will be a springboard to new business processes that grow the country's economy and support its national developmental goals.