• iXAfrica secures RMB funding to expand Nairobi campus from 2.25 MW to 22.5 MW, the largest in East Africa.

• The project taps Kenya’s 90% renewable power mix to meet surging demand for cloud, AI and hyperscale workloads.

• RMB’s backing signals investor confidence as rivals ADC, Raxio and Liquid also race to scale capacity in Africa.

iXAfrica Data Centre Ltd. recently announced that it has secured multi-tranche financing from Rand Merchant Bank (RMB), a division of FirstRand Ltd., to fund the next stage of its Nairobi One campus. The package will add 20 megawatts (MW) of IT power, boosting total capacity to 22.5 MW from the current 2.25 MW. The size of the facility will make it East Africa’s largest carrier-neutral data centre. Terms of the financing were not disclosed.

Chairman Guy Willner said the deal gives iXAfrica the firepower to target hyperscalers, global cloud platforms and clients running high-density AI workloads. Demand for data-hosting across Africa is accelerating as e-commerce, financial services and enterprise IT shift into the cloud. Analysts estimate the continent will need more than 1,000 MW of new capacity and as many as 700 additional facilities by 2030 to avoid bottlenecks in digital adoption.

Kenya’s energy mix gives iXAfrica a strategic edge. Nearly 90% of its electricity is generated from renewable sources such as geothermal and hydropower. The company has applied for a discounted tariff for heavy users sourcing power from renewables. This move could help keep costs competitive while addressing concerns over AI’s heavy electricity consumption. Generative AI workloads consume several times more energy than standard computing, and data-centre operators are under pressure to align growth with sustainability.

The RMB debt package bolsters iXAfrica’s credibility with both clients and investors. Backing from a leading African investment bank underscores confidence in Kenya’s role as a digital hub and reflects growing institutional appetite for data infrastructure plays on the continent. Securing a blue-chip financier also provides reassurance to hyperscalers, which often weigh financial stability when choosing hosting partners.

iXAfrica is expanding into a market already heating up. Africa Data Centres, a unit of Cassava Technologies, has announced plans for multiple 20- to 30-MW sites across the continent, while Raxio and Liquid Intelligent Technologies are adding capacity in Uganda, Nigeria, and South Africa. In Kenya alone, demand for data-centre space is being driven by regional fibre-optic links, Nairobi’s status as a fintech and enterprise hub, and a growing base of AI-driven startups. iXAfrica’s ability to scale quickly with renewable power could help differentiate it in an increasingly competitive field.

The Nairobi One expansion positions iXAfrica to serve more than 300 million people in East Africa. The site sits near key submarine cable landings and fibre backbones, offering connectivity resilience that is essential for hyperscale clients. For Kenya, the project strengthens its ambition to become East Africa’s digital capital, drawing investment in cloud services, AI, and fintech. Beyond Nairobi, iXAfrica’s ability to raise large-scale financing sets a precedent for regional expansion and consolidates its standing as East Africa’s leading carrier-neutral hyperscale operator.

Hikmatu Bilali