Huawei plans to start construction of its first data center in South Africa in March, as the Chinese technology giant shrugs off an escalating global row over security to expand in Africa.
The company is working with local partners to build its first data-storage site to support cloud services in the country in Johannesburg, with a second to follow in Cape Town, Huawei said in an emailed statement on Wednesday.
The expansion comes as Huawei faces pressure from the US administration, which accuses the Chinese firm of being a security threat and wants mobile operators to break off relations.
Governments across Europe are weighing restrictions on Huawei, which says it's privately held and doesn’t take orders from Beijing.
The furor poses a risk to a pain free roll-out of fifth-generation mobile technology, including in Africa. Huawei is a major global supplier.