TECHNOLOGY
Beyond South Africa The mega-demand cycle in the South African data centre sector is underway , but the next wave - according to Boniface - could still be a few years away . “ We ' re seeing big investment in South Africa , which is why we decided to go there . The next markets to boom in the same way , we believe , should be Lagos and Nairobi . But the demand cycle is just starting to begin there - we ' re not seeing any big deal for 5 MW or 10 MW yet . We ' re not going to buy land in Lagos or Nairobi tomorrow , but maybe in 2022 or 2023 .”
Outside of South Africa , Bonficace is “ not sure the race has even started . We still have a few more years of calm before the storm in those markets - except South Africa where things are really booming .” In a couple of years ’ time , however , “ there will be a big race all over Africa , starting with the three main markets and maybe followed by places like Egypt and Morocco on the coast where major cables like the 2 Africa have landing stations .”
Africa as a continent is poised for a decade of unprecedented hyperscale growth , with the African Data Centre Association predicting that the region needs 1,000 MW spread across 700 data centres to bring capacity in line with demand today . By the time those sites are online , the need for digital infrastructure will have once again leapfrogged ahead .
It ’ s a unique situation where data centre operators find themselves racing , not against one another , but against demand . “ There cannot be a scenario where one or two colo providers like us dominate Africa . We need 10 players like us building in Africa at the same time to meet the demand and build the ecosystem . We ' re happy to see our competitors expanding and some of our clients self-building , because we need to strengthen the ecosystem ,” reflects Boniface . “ There ' s enough demand for everyone to win .”
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