MTN is partnering with a UAE data centre platform to develop AI-ready data centres across Africa, starting with strategic deployments in South Africa and Nigeria. The strategic partnership, announced by MTN Group, is part of the company’s Ambition 2030 strategy and aims to strengthen the infrastructure needed to support Africa’s next phase of digital transformation.
The partners will combine MTN Digital Infrastructure’s extensive African footprint, market knowledge and infrastructure assets with the UAE platform’s data centre investment, development and operating expertise. The goal is to build infrastructure capable of supporting growing demand from cloud providers, hyperscalers, enterprises and technology companies.
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The partnership will operate through Africa Data Hub Holding Limited, a platform established to identify, develop and scale digital infrastructure opportunities across key African markets. Nigeria and South Africa will be the initial focus markets, with plans to expand the platform’s footprint as new opportunities emerge.
Expanding AI-Ready Data Centres Infrastructure
Bayobab, MTN’s digital connectivity business and a shareholder in the partnership, will support the initiative through its pan-African network. The company will provide open-access connectivity and go-to-market support, allowing customers to connect to digital infrastructure services across multiple African markets.
The UAE-based data centre investment platform was founded by Tarek Al Ashram, a data centre developer, operator and investor with experience across the Middle East. “Africa’s digital economy is entering a new era, driven by rapid advances in artificial intelligence, cloud adoption and digital innovation. Realizing this opportunity requires more than connectivity. It requires the infrastructure platforms that will power the next generation of digital services, businesses and innovation.” — Mazen Mroué, CEO, MTN Group Digital Infrastructure.
Mroué said the partnership brings together investment, infrastructure expertise, connectivity and market access to create a platform capable of serving hyperscalers, cloud providers, enterprises and technology innovators across Africa.
Strategic Growth in the African Digital Market
For the UAE partner, the deal provides an opportunity to bring experience from the Middle East’s rapidly developing data centre market into Africa, where digital economies and demand for cloud and AI infrastructure are expanding.
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“Over the past years, we have seen firsthand how the development of world-class data centre infrastructure can support the rapid growth of cloud, digital services and AI across the Middle East. Africa now presents a similarly compelling opportunity, driven by strong underlying demand, rapidly expanding digital economies and an increasing need for resilient and scalable infrastructure.” — Tarek Al Ashram, Founder, UAE-based Data Centre Investment Platform.
Al Ashram said the partnership combines the platform’s data centre development and operating experience with MTN’s African footprint and market knowledge, creating a foundation for scaling infrastructure across the continent.
Supporting Local Digital Sovereignty
The partnership comes as African markets seek to expand their digital capacity and reduce dependence on infrastructure located outside the continent. Data centres are becoming increasingly important to this transition as businesses and governments adopt cloud computing, AI applications and other data-intensive technologies.
Local infrastructure can also support lower-latency services, data-residency requirements and more reliable access to computing capacity. By combining UAE capital and data centre expertise with MTN’s African infrastructure and connectivity footprint, the partnership could help accelerate the deployment of the physical infrastructure required to support the continent’s growing AI economy.
As AI adoption accelerates, the availability of data centres, connectivity and computing capacity will increasingly determine how quickly African businesses and governments can deploy next-generation digital services. The new platform positions MTN and its UAE partner to participate in that infrastructure build-out.
Why It Matters to Africa and MENA
The partnership could help address one of the continent’s biggest digital-economy challenges: the limited availability of large-scale, locally hosted digital infrastructure. By developing AI-ready data centres in markets such as Nigeria and South Africa, the initiative could improve access to computing capacity for hyperscalers, cloud providers, enterprises and AI startups.
It could also support lower-latency services, strengthen data-residency capabilities and reduce reliance on infrastructure outside the continent as demand for AI and cloud services grows. The deal highlights the UAE’s expanding role as a source of capital, expertise and partnerships for Africa’s digital infrastructure build-out.
UAE-based investors and data centre operators can gain access to one of the world’s fastest-growing digital markets. In contrast, African markets benefit from Middle Eastern experience in developing and operating large-scale infrastructure. The partnership also strengthens the emerging UAE–Africa technology and investment corridor, particularly around AI, cloud computing, data centres and digital connectivity.
Engagement
