"Datacentre operators always have to look at new routes, to redistribute workloads and implement expansion strategies. That's a fact of life as they respond to stresses from price erosion, regulatory interventions in traditional markets and wider geopolitics. These are among the key challenges faced by Digital Realty, which has opened its first datacentre in Ghana in the wake of increased infrastructure investments in emerging locations across sub-Saharan Africa."
"Paula Cogan, EMEA managing director for Digital Realty, says the operator now has six datacentres in South Africa, four in Kenya, four in Nigeria, and one in Mozambique. The idea is to create a "consistent platform of datacentre and colocation facilities worldwide" that follows major demand drivers. "We expect significant growth in the Africa region," she says."
"Africa's 58 countries are home to around 19% of the global population. Often, they're mobile-first, due to a historic lack of infrastructure, and payment platforms are a particular strength. African mobile data use has been growing at around 40% annually - far higher than in other major economies."
Datacentre operators are expanding into emerging African markets to address price erosion, regulatory challenges, and geopolitical pressures. Digital Realty opened its first datacentre in Ghana near Accra in November 2025, a 1.7MW facility called ACR2, while Equinix announced a $22 million facility in Lagos, Nigeria. These expansions follow Meta's 2Africa subsea cable landing near Accra in 2025, the sixth fibre connection to Ghana. Digital Realty now operates six datacentres in South Africa, four in Kenya, four in Nigeria, and one in Mozambique. Africa's mobile-first markets show 40% annual data growth, significantly higher than other major economies. The new facilities aim to create consistent global connectivity platforms and serve as regional hubs for international and local business requirements.
#datacentre-expansion #sub-saharan-africa-infrastructure #subsea-cable-connectivity #digital-realty-and-equinix #mobile-data-growth
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