Africa Data Centres, part of the Cassava Technologies group, has secured funding to expand its data centre capacity in response to the growing demand for cloud computing services in South Africa. This funding was arranged by RMB, highlighting Africa Data Centres’ strong financial standing and dedication to South Africa’s digital transformation.
“This funding is a significant milestone in the growth of Africa Data Centres,” said Hardy Pemhiwa, President & Group CEO of Cassava Technologies.
“It underscores our commitment to growth and our confidence in the future of the South African data centre market. The additional funding will allow us to support the digital transformation journeys of our customers. Data Centres are key to delivering on our vision of a digitally connected future that leaves no African behind”.
RMB served as the Coordinator, Initial Mandated Lead Arranger, and Bookrunner for the ZAR2 billion facility. The facility was structured to align with Africa Data Centres’ strategic objectives.
Operating a network of hyperscale and edge data centres across Southern, East, and West Africa, Africa Data Centres will use the R2 billion financing to expand its hyperscale data centre capacity by an additional 20MW. This expansion strengthens its position as a leading provider of interconnected, carrier, and cloud-neutral data centre facilities in Africa.
“The data centre space presents a significant digital infrastructure opportunity, as there is currently a large deficit of supply versus demand. With the exponential growth in demand for data centre capacity in Africa, we are proud to partner with Africa Data Centres as they facilitate digital transformation across the continent. We see this funding as part of RMB’s mandate of financing the development of a sustainable digital economy in South Africa” says Nana Phiri, head of corporate client group at RMB.
Also read: Africa Data Centres Commences Construction On 12MW Solar Farm In Free State
Africa Data Centres, a business of the Cassava Technologies group, is pleased to announce that it has broken ground on the construction of a solar farm in the Free State in collaboration with DPA Southern Africa.
This announcement forms a crucial component of the 20-year Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) inked in March 2023 with DPA Southern Africa a joint company of the French utility, EDF. The objective of the Free State farm is to furnish renewable energy to Africa Data Centres sites, commencing with its cutting-edge, carrier-neutral data centre in Cape Town, the CPT1 facility.
According to Cassava Technologies’ President and Group CEO, Hardy Pemhiwa, “This initiative positions Africa Data Centres as a trailblaser in the data centre industry in responding to South Africa’s energy crisis through sustainable technology solutions. This is in line with a broader industry shift towards innovative, eco-friendly practices. The strategic use of solar power showcases technology’s role in pioneering solutions for energy challenges and environmental sustainability”.
Furthermore, Tesh Durvasula, CEO of Africa Data Centres, underscores the commitment to powering all data centres with clean, renewable energy sources. “Today’s announcement represents a significant stride in our initiative to energise South African data centres sustainably, advancing our objective of achieving carbon neutrality. The first phase involves constructing the 12MW solar infrastructure to power our Cape Town data centre, with subsequent phases extending to our Johannesburg data centres.”
