(Ecofin Agency) - Africa’s digital economy is growing rapidly, and the demand for data storage, processing power, and AI capabilities is accelerating. The introduction of high-power density local data centres enables real-time AI workloads to be run locally, securely, and cost-effectively.

Safaricom PLC has partnered with iXAfrica Data Centre, Kenya’s hyperscale-ready operator, to deliver East Africa’s AI-ready data centre services. The partnership, announced May 13, aims to meet growing demand for advanced, high-power-density infrastructure capable of supporting AI computing, cloud services, edge computing, data analytics, and disaster recovery solutions.

Through this partnership with iXAfrica, we are enhancing our enterprise portfolio with premium data centre services that meet the highest global standards while supporting sustainable digital growth in the markets we serve in line with our vision to be Africa’s leading purpose-led technology company by 2030,” said Dr Peter Ndegwa, CEO, Safaricom PLC.

This collaboration is significant in Kenya’s digital transformation and positions East Africa as a rising hub for next-generation digital infrastructure. By combining Safaricom’s market leadership and customer base with iXAfrica’s purpose-built AI-ready facility, the partnership offers enterprise and government clients scalable, cost-effective, and secure solutions for data storage, computing, and connectivity.

The iXAfrica Nairobi campus, NBOX1, features a design capacity of 22.5MW. Strategically located along major fiber optic routes and powered by low-carbon energy sources, the facility offers an enterprise suite starting at 350kW with scalability to over 1MW. The infrastructure is designed to handle high-density computing needs with advanced cooling and resilience capabilities, tailored to the performance demands of AI applications.

The partnership features an integrated, end-to-end enterprise solution under one contract, covering colocation, cloud, connectivity, cybersecurity, and managed services. Businesses can now run advanced AI workloads within Kenya, ensuring compliance with data sovereignty regulations while benefiting from faster, more efficient processing.

This new capability opens significant potential for sectors such as financial services, where AI can power fraud detection, credit risk modeling, and hyper-personalized offerings. In manufacturing and retail, AI can optimize supply chains, drive real-time analytics, and improve demand forecasting—all securely hosted in-country.

The partnership between Safaricom and iXAfrica represents a pivotal step toward harnessing the economic potential of artificial intelligence (AI). The United Nations projects that AI could contribute up to $1.5 trillion to Africa’s economy by 2030, but realizing that potential hinges on the availability of robust, local digital infrastructure.

By launching  AI-ready data centre services, this collaboration directly addresses one of the region’s biggest bottlenecks—limited high-performance computing capacity. It creates a foundation for enterprises, startups, and public institutions to deploy AI at scale without relying on overseas servers, which are often costly and introduce regulatory or latency issues.

Hikmatu Bilali