Airtel Africa has officially broken ground on what will become the largest data centre in East Africa, a 44MW facility located in the Tatu City Special Economic Zone (SEZ) outside Nairobi. Through its data centre subsidiary, Nxtra, Airtel is positioning itself as a key driver of Africa’s digital transformation by expanding secure, high-capacity infrastructure across the continent.
A 44MW Facility for the Future
The Nxtra by Airtel data centre will be built in phases, eventually delivering 44MW of IT power capacity. Once completed in the first quarter of 2027, the facility will host next-generation servers, high-density GPU-ready racks designed for artificial intelligence workloads, multiple redundant fibre paths, and advanced security systems. Airtel has pledged an uptime of 99.999%, ensuring mission-critical resilience for businesses, governments, and technology partners.
Airtel Kenya, in a statement, described the project as a foundation for the region’s growing digital economy: “Upon completion, the data centre will be a go-to partner for cloud and AI workload hosting with a view to power businesses, support governments and unlock new opportunities for communities across the region.”
A Continental Strategy
The launch of the Tatu City facility comes just weeks after Airtel Africa began construction on a 38MW data centre in Eko Atlantic City, Lagos, Nigeria, following the formal launch of Nxtra in March 2024 in Victoria Island. With operations in 14 African markets, Airtel Africa is building a network of large-scale data centres strategically located in metropolitan hubs where demand is rising fastest.
This strategy aims to serve multinational corporations, African enterprises, startups, SMEs, and governments seeking secure and integrated digital solutions. By diversifying into the cloud and data centre sector, Airtel joins competitors such as MTN Group, which launched its own Nigerian data centre in July 2025, in tapping into a market that is set to explode over the next decade.
Why Tatu City?
Tatu City SEZ has emerged as East Africa’s natural hub for data infrastructure thanks to a decade of investment in reliable, world-class utilities. The city boasts a 135MVA power substation with 99.7% uptime, round-the-clock water supply, international-standard roads, underground fibre networks, and comprehensive storm water management.
Sustainability is a key differentiator: more than 95% of Tatu City’s power is renewable, with one-third generated directly from solar. Combined with Kenya’s largely renewable national grid, this makes the location one of the greenest data centre hubs in the world.
Stephen Jennings, Founder and CEO of Rendeavour, Tatu City’s developer, said Airtel’s decision was a validation of the SEZ’s long-term vision: “Together, we are building the secure, scalable, and sustainable digital backbone that Africa needs for its economic transformation.”
Closing Africa’s Data Gap
The project comes at a time when Africa faces a significant shortfall in data infrastructure. According to Oxford Business Group, as of mid-2023 the continent accounted for less than 2% of the world’s colocation data centre supply, with more than half concentrated in South Africa. To meet current demand, Africa would need around 1,000MW of additional capacity and 700 new facilities.
The GSM Association (GSMA) estimates a $622 billion opportunity in global B2B cloud and data centre services by 2030, a figure that underscores why telecom operators like Airtel and MTN are racing to build capacity.
More Than a Data Centre
Beyond its technical specifications, the Nxtra facility is set to become a catalyst for the region’s wider digital economy. Tatu City already houses over 100 businesses, 4,500 completed homes, schools educating 6,000 students, and investments worth more than KES 400 billion. Companies located in the SEZ benefit from tax incentives such as a 10% corporate rate for the first decade and exemptions from VAT, import duty, and stamp duty.
The Road Ahead
With construction now underway, Airtel Africa’s Nxtra project at Tatu City represents more than a landmark investment in Kenya. It is a signal of the continent’s digital ambitions, a response to the pressing infrastructure gap, and a bet on the role East Africa will play in the global cloud economy.
When it opens in 2027, the Nxtra by Airtel facility will not only stand as East Africa’s largest data centre but also as a symbol of how Africa is preparing to power its future with sustainable, scalable, and world-class digital infrastructure.
