In a groundbreaking move, Kenya’s first AI-ready data centre is now a reality, thanks to a powerful new partnership between Safaricom and iXAfrica Data Centres. The collaboration, announced on May 14, 2025, aims to supercharge East Africa’s digital economy by delivering advanced, high-density computing infrastructure tailored for enterprise AI workloads.
In a major leap forward for East Africa’s digital future, Safaricom (NSE: SCOM) has announced a strategic partnership with iXAfrica Data Centres to launch Kenya’s first AI-ready data centre, setting a new benchmark for enterprise technology infrastructure in the region.
The partnership will allow businesses and government who are the end users to benefit from scalable, cost-effective solutions for data storage, backup, and computing resources that meet their needs as they grow.
Additionally, enterprise customers who have adopted Artificial Intelligence will be able to work with
Safaricom to host their AI intensive workloads as Kenya leaps forward to be a player in this megatrend.
This collaboration marks a significant milestone in Kenya’s digital transformation journey and reinforces East Africa’s position as an emerging technology hub.
“As East Africa’s digital economy continues its rapid expansion, businesses increasingly require robust, scalable, and secure infrastructure solutions that can support the next wave of innovation, including AI workloads. Through this partnership with iXAfrica, we are enhancing our enterprise portfolio with premium data centre services that meet the highest global standards while supporting sustainable digital growth in the markets we serve in line with our vision to be Africa’s
leading purpose-led technology company by 2030,” said Dr Peter Ndegwa, CEO,
Safaricom PLC.
The project is anchored at iXAfrica’s NBOX1 Nairobi Campus, which boasts a design capacity of 22.5MW, making it the largest hyperscale-ready data centre in East Africa.
Strategically located along major fiber optic routes and powered predominantly by Kenya’s renewable energy sources, the facility provides ideal conditions for running AI-intensive workloads efficiently and sustainably.
“This collaboration represents a perfect synergy between technological excellence and market leadership,” said Guy Willner, Chairman of iXAfrica. “By combining our purpose-built, world-class AI-ready infrastructure with Safaricom’s unparalleled
market presence and customer relationships, we’re creating a digital ecosystem that will accelerate innovation and growth across the region.”
The partnership includes a collaborative go-to-market strategy, dedicated enterprise and cloud suites scalable from 350kW to over 1MW, and integrated connectivity services. It delivers a seamless, end-to-end digital solution under the trusted Safaricom brand ranging from colocation and cloud services to managed security, business resilience, and enterprise connectivity.
The iXAfrica’s NBOX1 Nairobi Campus features a design capacity of 22.5MW, making it the largest data centre project in Greater East Africa. The facility serves a regional population of more than 300 million people and is strategically positioned along major fiber optic routes with access to resilient, low-carbon power sources.
For financial services, this unlocks AI for fraud prevention, credit risk modeling, and hyper-personalized services—all while maintaining data compliance. In manufacturing and retail, AI can now power supply chain optimization, real-time IoT analytics, and demand forecasting locally and securely.
Read Also: Safaricom Revenue Growth Hits Record $3 Billion in Landmark Tech Transformation
With over 49 million subscribers and a track record of innovation in fintech, mobile services, and enterprise connectivity, Safaricom is uniquely positioned to lead this new chapter in Kenya’s digital evolution. This AI-ready data centre Kenya now hosts represents not just an infrastructure milestone, but a strategic platform for East Africa’s next wave of technological growth
