Google SA talks up relevance through local content
Luke McKend, country manager for Google South Africa, has talked up the increasing presence of the internet search and software group in Africa, to ensure relevance of its services.
The SA lead outlined three strategic areas of focus for Google, including access, relevance and sustainability.
In an interview with BusinessTech, McKend highlighted the important of bringing the internet to more people. “Access, data, and devices are too expensive. Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) users will benefit from an open and more competitive access market with lower prices.
“We are also focusing on mobile technology and SMS to deliver information, products and the internet affordably to the majority. We are working to improve the user experience, including latency, for both Google products and Internet services in general.”
In terms of relevance, McKend underlined the importance of making Google’s products available in local languages. “In SA we have translated Google search into Afrikaans, Zulu, Setswana, Xhosa and Northern Sotho. We also have a YouTube interface in Zulu and Afrikaans.”
He added that Google has focused on creating products designed specifically for Africa, which are more useful and relevant to people on the continent. “In Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya and Uganda we have launched an online & SMS marketplace called Trader – and made efforts to bridge the digital divide by launching Gmail to SMS.
“Once everyone has access, a key problem is lack of local content, whether it be commercial or entertainment, so some effort is required to get this content online. Getting small businesses to create websites is an example of increasing African content on the web.”
Last month, Google launched an initiative targeted at small and medium businesses (SME), called Woza Online. Using the platform, businesses will be able to create their own websites and develop an online presence at no charge.
The programme was launched in Kenya and Nigeria last year, with these countries seeing over 20,000 businesses going online within the first two months, Google said.
McKend alluded to the importance of sustainability on the continent. “To make sure there is a vibrant ecosystem we invest in skills development and raising awareness.
“Despite the pace of digital growth in SA there is still so much room to grow. Both in terms of the impact that the internet can have on new users’ lives, as well as untapped potential for businesses to take advantage of reaching new consumers using great technology,” the SA lead said.
McKend called for more urgency from government to create an environment that supports tech innovation.
He says that the country is filled with innovative people – however, many leave to fulfill their entrepreneurial ambitions.
“We need a greater sense of urgency from government to create an environment that supports tech innovation, and from investors to identify and fund new ventures to ensure that this talent is nurtured and stays in SA,” he concluded.
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