Africa on the Cusp of Becoming a Strategic Player in the Global Digital Economy
Africa is poised to become a key player in the global digital economy. Although the continent currently has only 211 data centers and accounts for less than 1% of global capacity, the growing demand for cloud services, artificial intelligence, and hyperscale infrastructure is opening up new opportunities for businesses and governments.
According to the report "Africa's Digital Leap: cloud, connectivity & AI in the next decade" published on September 1, 2025, by Nigerian company Heirs Technologies, four countries account for nearly half of the installations: South Africa (49), Kenya (18), Nigeria (16), and Egypt (14). Other nations, such as Morocco, Angola, Ghana, and Senegal, are also working to catch up. South Africa remains the most mature market, with data centers operated by AWS, Microsoft Azure, Teraco, and Equinix, which serve as interconnection points for submarine cables. Kenya and Nigeria are developing rapidly, supported by local and international players, while North Africa is relying on its telecom operators to strengthen its position.
The Heirs Technologies report also notes the emergence of agile local providers, capable of offering cloud services adapted to local economic and regulatory realities, such as Nobus, Layer3, Galaxy Backbone, Pawa IT, Safaricom Cloud, or GPX. This dynamic enables reduced latency, strengthened data sovereignty, and the creation of local value chains.
To transform these opportunities into sustainable growth, the report emphasizes the need to strengthen infrastructure, clarify regulations, and train local talent. The World Bank has invested $100 million in Raxio Group, while Microsoft and G42 plan to build a $1 billion data center in Kenya, demonstrating the growing attractiveness of Africa on the global digital scene.
Key highlights from the report include:
- Africa's growing demand for cloud services, artificial intelligence, and hyperscale infrastructure
- The emergence of local providers offering adapted cloud services
- The need to strengthen infrastructure, clarify regulations, and train local talent
- Significant investments from international players, such as the World Bank, Microsoft, and G42
- The potential for Africa to become a strategic player in the global digital economy, with opportunities for sustainable growth and development.
