Cloud adoption across Africa has shifted from basic migration to strategic optimisation in just 2 years, with more than 4 in 5 organisations now reporting meaningful cloud maturity.
According to PwC’s 2025 Africa Cloud Business Survey, 86% of organisations in Africa reported medium or high cloud maturity in 2025, up from 61% in 2023. The survey, which polled 1,415 business and technology leaders across 26 countries between July and September 2025, found that African firms are rapidly closing the gap with their European and Middle Eastern counterparts.
Investment momentum building
The survey reveals that 88% of African organisations plan to increase their cloud budgets in the year ahead, up from 82% in 2023. Meanwhile, 98% plan to adjust or expand their cloud architecture, driven by the need for scale, flexibility, and risk management.
However, progress remains uneven. Only 33% of organisations have modernised their data architecture to support cloud analytics, though 44% have adapted their cloud operating models, a foundational step toward long-term maturity.
Mark Allderman, Africa cloud and digital leader at PwC South Africa, said the findings reflect a shift beyond basic implementation. “Africa is now moving into an era of cloud mastery, where organisations aren’t just implementing cloud solutions but strategically leveraging them to address their most pressing business challenges,” Allderman said.
Geopolitics and regulation reshape cloud strategies
The survey found that 89% of organisations are refining their cloud approach in response to geopolitical and regulatory change, with 45% reporting direct impact from geopolitical shifts. Governments across the continent are increasingly enforcing data localisation requirements, pushing organisations to rethink where and how they store data.
Africa’s regulatory landscape is varied, spanning South Africa’s Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA), Nigeria’s Data Protection Regulation (NDPR), and Kenya’s Data Protection Act. Each framework carries distinct compliance requirements that affect cloud architecture decisions. A previous PwC report identified cyber risks as a top business threat on the continent, and the latest survey confirms that more than 60% of organisations have since strengthened their cybersecurity, disaster recovery, and risk mitigation protocols.
Vikas Sharma, Africa cyber leader at PwC Mauritius, said the overlap between geopolitical tension and technological disruption is driving a fundamental rethink. “Most organisations are now undertaking a fundamental rethink of their cyber posture, leading them to adopt cloud operations to build adaptable, secure and compliant infrastructure,” Sharma said.
Hyperscale investment supports growth
The growing presence of hyperscale cloud providers on the continent is helping to underpin the momentum. Recent moves include international acquisitions of South African cloud providers and expanding data centre investment that is reshaping Africa’s power markets.
Tshifhiwa Makhari, cloud leader at PwC South Africa, said the investment by hyperscale providers through local regions and in-country presence is strengthening the ecosystem. “These developments will be critical in helping organisations close the gap between ambition and measurable value,” Makhari said.
The PwC 2026 CEO Survey previously found that African business leaders remain optimistic but lag on AI adoption and bold investment, a pattern that the cloud survey’s findings on uneven modernisation appear to echo.
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