Setting its sight on Africa, Microsoft has launched two new cloud computing data center “regions” in Cape Town and Johannesburg. The company announced the general availability of Microsoft Azure from the new cloud regions.

The new data centers will help deliver the comprehensive Microsoft Cloud — comprising Azure, Office 365, and Dynamics 365 to offer cloud services to organizations while meeting data residency, security, and compliance needs.

Organizations like Nedbank, Peace Parks Foundation, and eThekwini water will benefit from the “increased computing resources and connectivity from our new cloud regions,” according to Tom Keane Corporate Vice President, Azure Global, Microsoft Azure.

Microsoft’s global cloud infrastructure will connect the new regions in South Africa with greater business opportunity, help accelerate new global investment, and improve access to cloud and Internet services across Africa, the company added.

Microsoft had earlier announced that its data centers would be ready by 2018 in South Africa. But somehow the launch got delayed until this year.