Africa’s digital infrastructure landscape is entering a new era of explosive growth as investors scramble to capitalize on the continent’s rising demand for data connectivity and storage. Industry analysts project that total capacity could surge to 2,500 megawatts by the year 2030, a massive leap from the current average of about 1.5 to 1.6 gigawatts. This acceleration is being powered by the widespread adoption of artificial intelligence, cloud services, and financial technology, placing Africa at the heart of the world’s next data revolution.
This projection was one of the key highlights at the Hyperscalers Convergence Africa Forum held in Lagos, which convened technology executives, investors, and regulators from more than 15 nations to explore the continent’s evolving data ecosystem.
During a discussion themed “Data Centre and Cloud in Africa: The Journey to 2,500 MW,” Guy Zibi, Managing Partner at Xalam Analytics, emphasized that Africa’s contribution to the global data market is still small but poised for remarkable expansion as digital services and AI-powered systems gain traction.
“The global AI race has redefined Africa’s opportunity map,” Zibi said. “If Africa captures even half a percent of global data centre power demand by 2030, that’s at least one gigawatt of new capacity. The question is, who will finance, regulate, and staff it?”
At the moment, South Africa remains the continent’s digital powerhouse, hosting some of its largest data facilities such as Teraco Data Environments in Johannesburg, which links seamlessly with international cloud operators. Nigeria, on the other hand, is fast becoming a central hub for West Africa, driven by key players like MainOne and Rack Centre in Lagos that are expanding internet and cloud access across the region. Rapid growth is also underway in Kenya, Ghana, Morocco, Ethiopia, Uganda, and Tanzania, where focus is shifting toward eco-friendly and scalable infrastructure projects.
Karim Amer, Nokia’s Head of IP Business for North, West, and Central Africa, noted that Northern Africa is experiencing a wave of renewed investment.
“By 2030, Egypt will account for about 25 percent of Africa’s total data centre capacity, Morocco 15 percent, and Nigeria around nine percent,” he noted. “The balance of growth will depend on energy reliability, cross-border regulation, and policy openness.”
Snehar Shah, CEO of IX Africa Data Centres, highlighted that regional collaboration will play a decisive role in maximizing infrastructure efficiency.
“We need East African data-sharing frameworks so neighbouring countries can use Kenya’s infrastructure,” Shah said. “Otherwise, capacity will remain isolated while demand elsewhere grows.”
Roger Shutte, General Manager of Infrastructure and Cloud Engineering at MTN Nigeria, observed that innovation cycles have become dramatically shorter.
“The learning journey has shortened since November 2022; what used to take 18 months to build as a minimum viable product now takes me an evening,” Shutte said. “The real challenge now is deployment; the infrastructure must be ready to keep up with that speed.”
Adding his perspective, Johnson Agogbua, CEO of Kasi Cloud Data Centers, stated that the next wave of expansion will hinge on strong partnerships among governments, telecom firms, and technology providers.
Experts concluded that the continent’s ongoing digital transformation—driven by AI workloads, fintech innovation, and surging cloud usage—is advancing far faster than infrastructure development. To keep pace, Africa will require massive investments in energy generation, broadband connectivity, and large-scale data storage facilities.
With technology reshaping every aspect of modern life, Africa stands at the threshold of a digital breakthrough—one that could redefine its role in the global economy over the next decade.
