Canva expands to Africa, names ex-Uber executive as localisation lead

Canva, an Australian design software company, has expanded its Africa footprint with the opening of a regional office in Johannesburg. The company said the move is part of a broader push to grow its education, small-business, and creator-economy programmes across the continent.

The new office is located in Rosebank, where a nine-person South African team now runs operations. Canva described the site as its most significant physical investment in Africa so far, reflecting the company’s growing confidence in the region.

The expansion follows a rise in usage across Africa. Canva reports that South African users created more than 77 million designs in the past year. The company also self-reports 260 million monthly active users worldwide and claims to have surpassed $3.5 billion in annual revenue, signalling strong engagement both locally and globally.

As part of its growth strategy, Canva is also widening its localisation efforts. The platform now supports nearly 20 African languages, including Zulu and Afrikaans, and has introduced local currency pricing in South Africa, Nigeria, Ghana, and Kenya to improve accessibility and affordability for individuals, schools, and small businesses.

Canva has also appointed Priscilla Menoe-Mtsi as its Product Localisation Lead for Africa. She joins from Uber, where she spent six years and most recently worked as Senior Operations Manager for Sub-Saharan Africa. Her role will shape how Canva adapts its product to African markets, covering language expansion, cultural context and user experience across the continent.

“It is an incredibly exciting moment for me to be leading our localisation efforts and shining a light on how we champion language preservation and digital inclusion across the continent,” she said.

Education remains central to Canva’s Africa strategy. Through its Canva for Education programme, the company is partnering with South African universities to offer free access to students and educators, strengthening design skills and adoption among the next generation of creators.

Canva’s arrival adds to a growing list of global firms increasing their physical presence in South Africa. Visa opened its first African data centre in Johannesburg in July, driven by the growth of digital payments, while Walmart plans to launch its first own-branded stores in the country before the end of 2025.