Google Cloud preferred over Microsoft Azure and AWS in South African cloud market

Most business decision-makers said Google Cloud is their preferred cloud provider ahead of Microsoft Azure and Amazon Web Services (AWS).

This was revealed in Analytico’s 2025 Business Technology Survey, conducted in January 2025, which 1,348 respondents completed.

The survey results only included responses from people who decided which ICT products and services their company uses.

It showed that Google Cloud has significantly increased its brand awareness in South Africa, with 43% of businesses saying it is their preferred provider.

Google Cloud only launched its Johannesburg cloud region, its first region in South Africa and Africa, in January 2024.

Google’s entrance was long after Microsoft launched its Azure service in Johannesburg and Cape Town in March 2019.

Amazon Web Services (AWS) opened its first region on the continent in Cape Town in April 2020, a year after Microsoft’s launch.

Despite Microsoft and AWS’s head-start, Google Cloud has better brand awareness in South Africa.

Over the last year, the number of businesses saying they prefer Google Cloud increased from 35% to 43%.

Microsoft Azure decreased from 32% to 26%, and Amazon Web Services (AWS) declined from 20% to 18%.

Huawei Cloud, the first hyperscaler to officially launch cloud computing services in South Africa, performed poorly.

Only 2% of business decision-makers said they considered Huawei Cloud the best option for their company.

Huawei Cloud’s performance declined by 32% over the last twelve months, showing the company needs to improve its brand awareness among local businesses.

It will need to convince South African companies that it is a viable alternative to Google Cloud, Microsoft Azure, and AWS.

The chart below shows the most trusted cloud providers in South Africa that IT decision-makers would select for their businesses.