By Prince Okafor

The significance of combining global expertise with local knowledge is evident in Nigeria and other Africa’s hyperscaler marketplaces.

This was the submission of Schneider Electric, Cloud and Service Provider Segment Sales Lead, Anglophone Africa, Faith Waithaka, and the Founder and CEO of Critical Facilities Efficiency Solutions, Kevin Kent, in a presentation.

For instance, South Africa, has witnessed substantial growth, with global cloud service providers expanding their data centers.

According to the African Data Center Construction Market report, African data centers are poised to maintain a 10.7 percent CAGR until 2028, with South Africa leading the way. The report attributes this growth to cloud-based services, smart city initiatives, and improved fiber connectivity.

In this landscape, the key to lasting impact lies in partnerships between global hyperscale companies and local experts.

Meanwhile, in their presentation, they stated that, “These collaborations must emphasize sustainability, especially given the energy provision challenges facing many African countries.

“Hyperscalers can play a pivotal role by actively engaging with local renewable energy providers, governments, and specialized organizations to support the development of green energy solutions. Large-scale solar installations are just one example of their contributions to a more sustainable data center ecosystem.

“Regulatory oversight in the African hyperscaler market, such as in South Africa, isn’t as stringent as in North America and Europe, which prioritize carbon accounting, water usage, and zero waste to landfill practices. Hyperscalers operating in Africa face the challenge of balancing data processing and storage demands with energy efficiency and sustainability.

“They must meet regulatory requirements while simultaneously establishing energy-efficient practices and technologies in the regions they operate. Fortunately, hyperscalers have the potential to lead the way in transforming the data center industry by implementing best practices, adhering to ISO standards, and setting industry benchmarks for a sustainable African data center sector.”