TIMELINE

2021-2022 was a period of monumental change for the African data centre industry, and the continent’s cloud landscape.

Largely fueled by the COVID-19 pandemic and the digital transformation drives of Africa’s companies, there has been an unprecedented surge in investments in data centres, with many of the sector’s global leaders stepping into the region for the very first time.

2017 2021 2022

Microsoft announces plans to open South African data centres

In 2017, Microsoft announced its first major venture into the African market. It revealed that it would be opening new cloud regions in Cape Town and Johannesburg (sites which then opened in 2019).

Vantage breaks record with new hyperscale site

Vantage Data Centres made its mark on the African data centre market in 2021, after starting construction on its new hyperscale campus in Midrand. This 80MW campus consisting of three facilities across 12 hectares, represents a $1.01bn investment. Once complete, it is set to be the largest on the continent.

Google’s Equiano cable is launched

Google’s state-of-the-art, 144 tbps, 12 fibre pair Equiano cable was landed by WIOCC in Lagos, Nigeria on the 8th of August. This will be a key facilitator in the growth of the market, improving connectivity across the region, driving faster internet speeds, reducing internet prices and improving user experience across the board.

Google announces plans for first African cloud facility

Later that year, Google also revealed its intent to establish a new Google Cloud region in South Africa, its first cloud facility on the continent. According to research by AlphaBeta Economics for Google Cloud, this South African cloud region will contribute more than a cumulative US$2.1bn to the country’s GDP, and will support the creation of more than 40,000 jobs by 2030.

Predictions for future market growth

According to Balancing Act’s Africa Interconnection Report, somewhere between $5-6bn will be invested in carrierneutral data centres in Africa during this period. The last few years have seen international data centre operators make major investments in Africa for the first time, and this trend is set to continue, at speed.