Microsoft has officially announced that their Surface range of products will be launched in South Africa.

This follows years of anticipation from enthusiasts who wanted to know when Microsoft’s hybrid devices would hit our shores.

The announcement was made alongside the introduction of the newest Surface devices: the Surface Go 2, Surface Book 3, Surface Headphones 2 and Surface Earbuds.

“To help better address the global demand we are seeing for Surface, we are excited to share that we will bring Surface to Mexico and South Africa later this year,” Microsoft said in a blog post.

In a statement shared with media, Microsoft South Africa said that the company is aiming to bring the current Surface portfolio to the country by the end of the year.

More information, such as pricing and exactly which Surface products will come to SA (and when), is set to be revealed in the coming months.

“Surface has many fans in South Africa who are eager to start using the and purchase for their businesses [ … ] Global companies have been pushing us to expand into South Africa and we are excited to be able to expand our global coverage and serve customers in these critical markets,” the company said.

What are Microsoft’s Surface devices?

The Microsoft Surface range started as a hybrid tablet competitor to Apple’s iPad, however has expanded to encompass hybrid laptops and peripheral devices.

The Surface tablets and laptops highlight the versatility of their form factors to increase the productivity of consumers and professionals alike.

The Surface Studio range, on the other hand, is an all-in-one PC with a large display aimed at creative professionals such as designers and video editors.

Meanwhile, Surface Hub devices act as interactive whiteboards and displays for business and educational settings.

While local pricing has yet to be announced, the devices may prove to be healthy competition for Apple’s various high-end tablets and hardware aimed at creative professionals.