Does Huawei hold the future of Cloud?

At the Yimin open-pit coal mine in Inner Mongolia, a fleet of 100 autonomous electric mining trucks operates without a human being in sight. These vehicles are entirely powered by a digital ecosystem that leverages 5G technology, cloud computing, and artificial intelligence.

This was the compelling picture of Huawei’s cloud computing capability presented at the company’s sixth annual Editors Xchange, held in Johannesburg recently.

The theme of the event, which explored how intelligent, integrated platforms are fostering South Africa’s digital advancement, was “Ecosystems and Infrastructure of the Future.”  Speakers representing Huawei, government, and various businesses discussed the evolution of infrastructure from mere hardware to a facilitating force, where cloud computing, artificial intelligence (AI), and collaborative platforms form the foundation for inclusive expansion.

In his inaugural address, Charles Cheng, Huawei South Africa deputy chief executive officer, underscored the human-centric objective behind technological progress. 

_{Photo courtesy Huawei.}

“Digital ecosystems matter insofar as they enable a better, more fulfilling life,” he said. Cheng reaffirmed Huawei’s dedication to this perspective: establishing cloud services that expand securely, networks that connect intelligently, and AI platforms designed for reliability and interoperability.

”This is the backbone of transformation for a wide range of industries, from healthcare to education, and even smart cities.

“Proof in partnership: In this case, I am proud to say that the numbers speak for themselves:

• 120-million people in remote areas are connected through our infrastructure,
•  More than 600 global certifications show our commitment to security,
• And we create 3-billion kWh of clean energy to power operations – who said scale cannot be sustainable?”

This foundational concept was prominently illustrated in a keynote presentation by Diego Han, director of ecosystem development for Huawei Cloud Sub-Saharan Africa. Han presented the example from Inner Mongolia, as an illustration of the future of cloud and infrastructure.

“This is the point at which infrastructure starts to think,” he said. “Sensors, platforms and processing power all converge to enable intelligent decision-making across the value chain, without human drivers, with enhanced safety and efficiency.”

He said that this methodology extended beyond simple connectivity.

“When we speak of everything as a service, we mean co-creating scalable, intelligent platforms with partners. It’s about helping our customers shift from infrastructure to insight, and from data to possibility.”

Huawei’s strategic decision to operate its own public cloud was instrumental in developing the transformation expertise that the company now disseminates globally. Han said that 5G, cloud computing, and artificial intelligence possess the potential to modernise South Africa’s mining sector and stimulate digital growth.

* Sheryl Goldstuck is general manager of World Wide Worx and editor of GadgetWheels. Follow her on Bluesky on @crazycatbuzz.bsky.social.