Shining a light on Africa’s data centre revolution

Africa’s digital transformation journey has produced technological advances that have improved the lives of millions of people on the continent. These innovations have driven huge change across industry and sector, enhancing the way people buy, sell, eat, travel, learn, farm and practice medicine.

One thing unites Africa’s digital transformation stories and the diverse range of industries relying on them – data, more specifically the facility to collect, store and analyse huge amounts of it. Digital growth in Africa has driven a sustained expansion in the number and capacity of data centres, largely focussed in three countries - South Africa, Nigeria and Kenya.

Data centre white space is now 2.5 times higher than it was 10 years ago and as the trickle of expansion becomes a steady stream, providers are exploring how technology and strategy can combine to improve efficiency and capacity throughout their facilities. The pursuit of equitable digital economies by nations across Africa means that demand for data centre services is only likely to accelerate. In this digital series, we will explore the biggest issues affecting data centres in Africa, viable solutions and what the next five years holds for providers and consumers.