F E A T U R E
AFRICA’ S DIGITAL GROWTH
IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO ACT DIFFERENTLY IN DATA CENTRE OPERATION
Ed Ansett, Founder and Chairman, i3 Solutions Group, tells us data centre developments hold the potential to be a catalyst for a host of power and connectivity investments in Africa. wo of Africa’ s biggest
T economies suffer regular power grid blackouts. South Africa continues to grapple with a formidable energy challenge caused by a strained and unreliable power grid prone to rolling outages. In Nigeria, the grid crisis has reached alarming levels, with two total grid collapses occurring within a single week in September 2023.
Such grid instability poses a significant hurdle for data centre development, as these are facilities that require constant and uninterrupted power. The situation is being exacerbated by ageing infrastructure, maintenance issues and a surge in energy demand.
Yet, the situation in both countries and across the African continent also present a unique set of opportunities for innovation. Data centre developers in South Africa and Nigeria could explore alternative power solutions, such as microgrids and demand response mechanisms, to fortify their energy ecosystems and at the same time fuel the growth of their digital economies. This juxtaposition of challenge and opportunity highlights the imperative for innovative and sustainable energy solutions in an increasingly data-driven world. Sector growth in Africa’ s digital services in line with the rollout of off-grid power, increasing Internet penetration, rising smartphone usage and e-commerce have sparked a rush into data centres.
Existing and future investment figures are impressive, and demand drivers are accelerating, but such rapid growth should not be delivered in a gold rush fever that ignores the opportunities to respond to demand with long-term, efficient and sustainable facilities.
Africa – a growing opportunity for data centre investment
There is much to be optimistic about in Africa’ s data centre space. A report
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