ST Digital enters DRC market through partnership with OADC

African cloud services provider ST Digital is expanding into the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) through a partnership with the Open Access Data Centres (OADC) Texaf – Kinshasa data center.

The OADC Texaf – Kinshasa data center is the DRC's first live open-access, carrier-neutral and Uptime Institute Tier-III certified data center.

The facility, boasting a 2MW capacity, is set to achieve ISO 27001 certification post-live. ISO 27001 is an information security management standard that offers organizations a structured framework to protect their information assets and ISMS, encompassing risk assessment, risk management and continuous improvement.

"The facility offers the first carrier-neutral open access vibrant interconnect ecosystem and a compelling environment for content providers such as ST Digital to deliver high-quality content and services to the growing population," ST Digital said in a statement.

By collocating in the OADC Texaf – Kinshasa data center, ST Digital asserts it will be strategically positioned to meet the increasing demand for content as connectivity improves and more citizens gain access to reliable Internet.

"Our facility offers the ideal environment for this growth, providing secure, carrier neutral, open access, reliable and scalable infrastructure that supports the delivery of diverse digital content across the region," said Mohammed Bouhelal, managing director of OADC Texaf.

African data center boom

The new partnership comes as Africa is seeing a surge in data centers and cloud initiatives across many countries.

Last month, data center operator Raxio Group inaugurated its newest data center in the DRC, its fourth in Africa.

(Source: natanaelginting on Freepik)

Raxio claims the facility in Kinshasa is the country's largest data center, with Tier III accreditation by the international industry body, the Uptime Institute.

The company also launched its data center in Mozambique in May 2024.

Raxio previously launched data centers in Uganda and Ethiopia.

A data center in Côte d'Ivoire was scheduled to launch in July but is not yet up and running, while the Raxio data center in Angola is planned to open by the end of 2024 and there are plans for a data center in Tanzania.

In July 2024, Africa Data Centres expanded its data center facility in Cape Town, South Africa, to add another 6MW of IT load.

Earlier in July 2024, PAIX Data Centres announced the expansion of its facility in Accra, Ghana.

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