PAIX Data Centres, a leading pan-African provider of carrier and cloud-neutral data centre services, has revealed plans to expand its facility in Ghana to a capacity of 1.2 megawatts (MW). This expansion is a strategic response to the burgeoning demand for digital infrastructure across the African continent.
The Ghanaian data centre, which ranks among the largest in the country, is set to offer Internet Service Providers (ISPs), cloud service providers, and various enterprises access to state-of-the-art digital infrastructure. This enhancement is expected to bolster connectivity and support the growth of online businesses in the region.
This expansion initiative follows a significant milestone over two years ago when PAIX secured a $20 million equity investment from Africa50. The investment was aimed at increasing the company’s data centre capacity and facilitating its expansion into new markets within Africa.
PAIX underscores the timeliness of this expansion, citing projections that the demand for reliable and scalable data centres in Africa will outstrip supply by as much as 300% in the next two years. To keep pace with this soaring demand, there is an anticipated need for a substantial ramp-up in installed capacity—from the current 250 MW to an estimated 1,200 MW by 2030. Data consumption on the continent is expected to surge by 40% annually until 2025.
In line with these projections, a 2024 focus report on Africa’s data centre market forecasts a 50% growth in the market by 2026. Mordor Intelligence further predicts that the African data centre market size will reach 0.69 thousand MW in 2024 and grow to 1.23 thousand MW by 2029, at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 12.34%.
The revenue from colocation services in the market is also projected to see substantial growth. It is expected to generate $750.2 million in 2024 and climb to $1,709.6 million by 2029, with a CAGR of 17.91% over the forecast period from 2024 to 2029. This growth trajectory underscores the critical role of data centres in Africa’s digital economy and the increasing need for investment in this vital infrastructure.
PAIX has confirmed that the enhanced facility in Ghana will feature cutting-edge infrastructure and stringent security protocols, designed to deliver peak performance and dependability for mission-critical applications and services. The data center is also equipped with sophisticated cooling and waste management systems. Moreover, there is a heightened focus on incorporating renewable energy sources to power the facility, which is a move aimed at reducing the environmental footprint and promoting sustainability in the data center’s operations.
A recent report has highlighted that the Republic of the Congo has commenced the construction of the nation’s own national data center. This significant development is set to store and process the digital data of the Central African country, marking a pivotal step in its technological advancement.
In a parallel move, the Nigerian government is also making strides in enhancing its digital infrastructure. It has plans to inaugurate a new data center with the capacity to store up to 1.4 petabytes of data. The launch of this facility is scheduled for May 29, 2024, and it represents a substantial investment in the country’s data management and technological capabilities.
