DRC's first Tier 3 data center is live

The Democratic Republic of Congo's (DRC's) first open-access carrier-neutral Tier 3 data center has gone live in Kinshasa, more than a year late.

The 2MW-capable facility was scheduled to go live in the second quarter of 2023 and is a joint venture between Open Access Data Centres (OADC) and Texaf.

Despite its late entry, it is now the DRC's first live open-access, carrier-neutral and Uptime Institute Tier 3 certified data center.

According to a joint statement, clients are already establishing and installing in the facility and all major fiber network providers are present to provide interconnect to tenants.

"The facility offers integrated core digital infrastructure solutions comprising tailored colocation services together with a wide range of reliable connectivity and peering options," the statement continued.

The companies said power to the data center is sourced from hydro generation, ensuring environmentally sustainable power generation in tandem with low power utilizations effectiveness (PUE).

"The facility underpins and is accelerating the country's digitalization and ICT capabilities, enabling clients to cost-effectively, flexibly and securely grow their operations within the DRC," the statement continued.

Situated within Texaf's Silkin Village in DRC's capital city of Kinshasa, the 2MW-capable, 550+ rack facility delivers colocation, interconnect and peering services to support the needs of enterprise clients, content distribution networks, and local and international cloud providers.

The 2MW-capable facility in the DRC is a joint venture between OADC and Texaf. (Source: Image by www.slon.pics on Freepik)

"OADC Texaf Digital is central to boosting many sectors of the DRC's economy, creating rich and vibrant digital ecosystems, and providing content distribution networks and cloud content providers with access to a quality peering location in the country," explained OADC Texaf DRC MD Mohammed Bouhelal.

Christophe Evers, chairman of OADC Texaf's board of directors, said establishing a strategic partnership to build a data center in the DRC is crucial for driving digital transformation and economic growth in the region.

"By leveraging the joint strengths and expertise of OADC and Texaf, we are not only enhancing digital connectivity and infrastructure but also creating opportunities for businesses to thrive in a rapidly evolving digital landscape," Evers continued.

African data center boom

The DRC's first live, open-access carrier-neutral Tier 3 data center comes at a time when Africa is seeing a surge in data centers across many countries.

Just last month, Africa Data Centres expanded its data center facility in Cape Town, South Africa, to add another 6MW of IT load.

Earlier in July, PAIX Data Centres announced the expansion of its facility in Accra, Ghana.

Adding to its established facilities in Uganda and Ethiopia, Raxio launched a new data center in Mozambique in May 2024.

Raxio Group CEO Robert Mullins informed Connecting Africa that the company's planned data centers in Côte d'Ivoire, the DRC, and Angola were set to open by the end of the year, with construction on a new data center in Tanzania also nearing commencement.

In November 2023, MainOne expanded its data center footprint in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire.

Mobile operator Airtel Africa also launched its new data center business Nxtra by Airtel in December 2023, breaking ground in Lagos, Nigeria in March this year.

— Matshepo Sehloho, Associate Editor, Connecting Africa