Data center: OADC strengthens its position in a $580 million South African market
January 6th 2026
In November 2021, WIOCC announced it had raised $200 million to launch a new pan-African network of data centers called Open Access Data Centre. Beyond South Africa, the company has a presence in Nigeria and the DRC.
Data center operator Open Access Data Centres (OADC) is on the verge of acquiring new facilities in South Africa after receiving approval from the Competition Commission last week. This subsidiary of the WIOCC group is thus strengthening its presence in a market valued at $580 million, according to Mordor Intelligence.
The acquired assets include seven data center facilities currently operated by NTT Data in South Africa, located in Bloemfontein, Cape Town, East London, Bryanston and Parklands in Johannesburg, Gqeberha, and Umhlanga. The transaction includes the associated infrastructure and equipment, supplier and lease agreements, and the land on which the Parklands data center is located. These facilities offer a full range of services, encompassing colocation (racks and power), network and connectivity services, and data center implementation and management.
According to its website, OADC currently has four hyperscale data centers in South Africa, located in Cape Town, Johannesburg and Durban, in addition to about thirty much smaller Edge data centers.
The acquisition approval comes just days after WIOCC secured a new $65 million loan from IFC, Proparco, Emerging Africa Infrastructure and Asia Infrastructure Fund (EAAIF), and Ninety-One. This financing is part of OADC’s commitment, made shortly after its launch in November 2021, to invest $500 million over five years to expand its presence across the continent. WIOCC had already secured an initial $200 million loan to launch OADC.
Leading in Africa, the South African data center market continues to grow rapidly, driven by accelerated digital transformation. Mordor Intelligence estimates it should reach $1.25 billion by 2030, while Arizton Advisory & Intelligence forecasts $3.4 billion over the same period. Arizton emphasizes that: “ The large consumer market, the favorable regulatory environment for local data storage, and the dynamism of the technology sector are the main factors driving the growth of the South African data center market and making it a key destination for investment on the African continent .”
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