upGrad Enterprise and JNS Cloud Solutions Join Forces to Build Africa’s AI & Cloud Talent Engine

NEW DELHI/JOHANNESBURG:
upGrad Enterprise, the Corporate Skilling and Workforce Transformation division of global skilling major upGrad today announced a strategic collaboration with JNS Cloud Solutions, a leading cloud and AI transformation company, to drive large-scale AI and cloud skilling initiatives across Africa.

The partnership aims to bridge the growing digital skills gap across African markets by combining upGrad Enterprise’s globally recognized learning programs with JNS Cloud Solutions’ expertise in cloud infrastructure, AI deployment, and enterprise integration.

Through the collaboration, upGrad Enterprise will deliver industry-aligned AI and cloud certification programs, while JNS Cloud Solutions will enable real-world deployment environments, cloud labs, and enterprise integration pathways. The initiative is designed to support job readiness, industry adoption, and government-aligned skilling missions.

Commenting on the collaboration, Nagaraju Gurrala, CEO, JNS Cloud Solutions, said, “Africa’s digital economy is entering a defining decade. Through our collaboration with upGrad, we are building an AI and cloud skilling ecosystem that connects education directly with real-world deployment and employment opportunities. Our vision is to develop industry-ready AI talent within Africa, for Africa.”

Unlike traditional academic programs, the partnership follows a “Learn – Build – Deploy – Employ” framework, enabling learners to gain certifications alongside hands-on experience in real Cloud environments. The program will cater to university graduates, working professionals, enterprise workforce upskilling needs, and private and public sector digital transformation initiatives.

Dhruv Mehra, Global Head, upGrad Enterprise added, “The future of Africa’s technology ecosystem will be shaped by how effectively skills translate into real deployment at scale. Through this collaboration with JNS Cloud Solutions, we are building structured pathways that connect learning directly with enterprise-grade cloud environments, enabling talent to be trained in context and aligned with the region’s evolving digital transformation needs.”

As part of the engagement, upGrad Enterprise is collaborating with JNS Cloud Solutions, a South Africa–based Microsoft Gold Partner and BBBEE Level 1 technology services provider, which will serve as upGrad Enterprise’s official reseller and training partner for the Africa region. The collaboration will focus on AI and emerging technology training programs spanning AI and machine learning, cloud technologies, data engineering and analytics, cybersecurity, and digital transformation.

The first phase of rollout will focus on South Africa, with plans to expand across additional African markets.