Safaricom has announced a strategic partnership with Amazon Web Services (AWS) to provide cloud infrastructure to clients in and around East Africa.

The announcement follows news that Safaricom acquired AWS Partner Network (APN) Advanced Consulting Partner status.

AWS describes its APN as a partnership program for companies who leverage its technology to build solutions and services for clients.

Safaricom will serve as an AWS reseller to the region and is ready to assist companies, start-ups and enterprises who want to launch cloud-based services.

Although there is no confirmation of whether or not AWS will establish datacenters in the region, the alliance is considered the first step in introducing the company's services on a wider scale.

In 2018, Amazon announced that it would have three availability zones in Cape Town, South Africa by the first half of 2020.

Its presence in East Africa is expected to help companies in Sub-Saharan Africa experience low latency in the distribution of content.

Michael Joseph, chief executive officer, Safaricom said, "We chose to partner with AWS because it offers customers the broadest and deepest cloud platform, overall commitment to security excellence, and a strong culture of customer obsession. This agreement will allow us to accelerate our efforts to enable digital transformation in Kenya."