Africa Data Centres and LINX Collaborate to Drive Digital Expansion in Africa

Africa Data Centres has formed a strategic alliance with The London Internet Exchange (LINX) to explore growth and opportunities in existing and new African markets.

Tesh Durvasula, CEO of Africa Data Centres, emphasized their Pan-African Interconnection partnership in order to explore opportunities across the continent. The goal is to add value to African local network communities, LINX membership, and data center facilities.

According to Accenture’s recent research into the ICT ecosystem, Africa is on the verge of a technological explosion. According to the consulting firm, certain countries are growing at an especially rapid rate. For example, by 2050, the internet’s (iGDP) share of the economy in Kenya, Morocco, Senegal, and South Africa will be around 6%, similar to where the US is today. Others, such as Ghana, are expected to achieve 4 to 5% iGDP, which is comparable to Brazil’s current level.

Data centers are the foundation of the continent’s economic growth; without them, sustainable and self-sufficient ICT ecosystems cannot be developed. This is why, in September 2021, Africa Data Centres announced the largest expansion plans Africa has ever seen, with $500 million invested in many new hyperscale data centers across the continent.
“Building new facilities is the one path that Africa can take to address the growing need for storage and networking that are crucial to digitising Africa and bringing digital services to its citizens,” adds Durvasula.

Africa Data Centres is the continent’s largest network of interconnected, carrier- and cloud-neutral data center facilities, he says, and it currently serves nine facilities in six countries. As market leaders, the organization is constantly announcing new builds in existing markets, as well as plans for facilities in markets that are currently under-served or have none at all.

Similarly, LINX is a leader in providing redundant and resilient interconnection solutions through their global Internet Exchange Points (IXPs). “This new partnership has the potential to improve connectivity and digital services in new and emerging markets across Africa,” Durvasula says.

According to Nurani Nimpuno, LINX’s Head of Global Engagement: “We are excited to be working with Africa Data Centres on this journey into new markets across Africa. The data centre giant has the largest hub of interconnected facilities on the continent, making it the ideal partner to serve the growth and demand predicted in the ICT sector and opening up fantastic opportunities for countries across Africa, and making digital services a reality for hundreds of millions of citizens.”