• The project is a landmark in Angola's digital economy, it provides 3MW of IT power and houses 800+ racks.
• The carrier-neutral facility boasts Tier III+ resilience and green power. It backs the govt's plan to make Angola a key regional technology hub.
• The center addresses a key gap between huge digital demand and scarce local infra. It is poised to create tech jobs and cut overseas hosting.

Angola’s digital economy took a significant step forward on October 2 with the inauguration of Raxio Group's new $30 million data center in Cacuaco, Luanda. Described by the company as the country's most advanced, the facility provides up to 3MW of IT power and can house over 800 racks, more than doubling the existing capacity in Angola.

As Raxio's sixth and largest data center in Africa, the 19,000-square-metre campus is built to rigorous Tier III standards. To meet the rising demand for high-performance, always-on infrastructure, the company plans to more than double the facility's capacity to over 7MW within the next five years.

The project has earned high praise from the government. At the inauguration, Mário Oliveira, Angola’s Minister of Telecommunications, Information Technologies and Social Communication, called the facility "a leap forward for our country’s digital economy." He added that it directly supports the government's goal of positioning Angola as a regional technology hub.

Strategically located near major undersea cable landing stations, Raxio Angola will enhance the country's connectivity by hosting its Internet Exchange Point (IXP). This will keep internet traffic local, leading to improved speed, reliability, and affordability for users nationwide. As a carrier-neutral facility, it also offers customers the flexibility to connect with a wide range of operators and service providers.

To guarantee uninterrupted service, the facility is engineered for maximum resilience. It is powered by two independent substations and equipped with backup generators, UPS systems, and batteries. According to General Manager Maria Miguel Pinto, formerly of IBM Angola, these features make it "a Tier III plus facility" capable of supporting robust disaster recovery and business continuity plans.

Sustainability is also a cornerstone of the design. The center draws 70% of its power from renewable sources and utilizes energy-efficient cooling systems. An on-site water treatment plant reduces its environmental footprint by recycling water for cooling equipment and irrigation—a critical function for managing the intense heat generated by data center operations.

For Raxio Group CEO Robert Skjødt, the facility represents more than just physical infrastructure. "We are laying the foundation for a thriving digital economy that supports innovation, empowers entrepreneurs, and positions Angola as a regional technology leader," he stated.

Raxio's investment is strategically timed. According to a July 2025 market briefing from Xalam Analytics, Angola is seeing accelerated adoption of digital services, driven by market reforms and a recovering economy. While broadband connections hit 18 million in 2024, the country has only 8 to 10 live data centers. Raxio’s entry directly addresses this gap in a market projected to grow at a compound annual rate of 17% between 2024 and 2030.

Beyond its technological impact, the project is expected to create high-value technical jobs, promote local skills development, and provide secure local infrastructure for government agencies, telecoms, startups, and multinationals, reducing their reliance on hosting services overseas.

Hikmatu Bilali

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