Amazon opens first African AWS Skills Center in Cape Town, South Africa

In Cape Town, South Africa, Amazon Web Services (AWS) has built its first international AWS Skills Center. AWS Skills Centers are Amazon’s dedicated, in-person cloud learning spaces for anyone interested in cloud computing and job opportunities in the field.

Anyone in the community, regardless of background, academic level, or social class, can learn about how cloud computing technology powers everything from weather forecasting to smart homes. The new AWS Skills Center in Cape Town, South Africa, contains eight interactive exhibits that allow visitors to learn about real-world cloud applications.

“AWS is committed to removing barriers that prevent people from accessing the skills training they require to advance their careers,” stated Maureen Lonergan, Vice President, AWS Training and Certification. “The Cape Town region is ripe with talent, and workforce upskilling can play a key role in driving innovation, catalyzing economic growth, and accelerating digital transformation across South Africa.”

The Cape Town AWS Skills Center joins facilities in Seattle, WA and Arlington, VA as the third to open. Each center offers a variety of free cloud training and job exploration events to the general public.

The new AWS Skills Center in Cape Town, South Africa, contains eight interactive exhibits that allow visitors to learn about real-world cloud applications. Each room is intended to captivate visitors by demonstrating how cloud technology powers everything from weather forecasting to robots.

AWS Skills Center Cape Town, in addition to assisting the South African community, is contributing to Amazon’s aim of offering free digital skills training to 29 million people worldwide by 2025. AWS’s free training options range from self-paced courses on demand to cohort-based workforce development initiatives.

According to Amazon, the new Cape Town AWS Skills Center is assisting in the expansion of workforce-development initiatives and transformation plans in the local community. One of the key goals is to level the playing field for nontechnical workers through free education efforts, thereby assisting in meeting the growing demand for skilled cloud personnel.