Africa's Data Centre Capacity Crosses 500MW With 890MW More in Pipeline
Africa's total data centre capacity has exceeded 500 megawatts, with a further 890 megawatts reported to be in the construction or development pipeline, according to a new industry report. The milestone marks a significant infrastructure scaling moment for the continent's digital economy.
Data Centre Spread: South Africa holds 60% of the continent's capacity — and that's the number to watch
890 MW in the pipeline sounds like the continent is catching up fast.
But Fortren & Company's own numbers tell a quieter story: South Africa holds over 60% of Africa's operational capacity today, and four of the continent's seven largest facilities sit in Johannesburg alone. The next-biggest outside South Africa is a single Nigerian campus at 36 MW.
The question isn't whether investment is coming — it clearly is. It's whether the pipeline genuinely redistributes capacity, or just adds more megawatts to the places that already have them. For a founder in Lagos or Nairobi, the difference is everything.
1 source
- Africa’s data centre capacity exceeds 500 MW with 890 MW in pipeline – Report · nairametrics.com · T2