MTN Group is set to develop AI-focused data centres with an initial capacity of about 150 megawatts (MW) across Nigeria and South Africa through a partnership with a UAE-backed investor.
Ralph Mupita, the group’s Chief Executive Officer, disclosed the plan on Tuesday as MTN outlined opportunities to expand beyond its traditional telecommunications business.
The proposed facilities will be developed through Africa Data Hub Holding, a venture involving MTN and an undisclosed UAE-backed investor with experience in building data centres in the United Arab Emirates and other Gulf markets.
Mupita said MTN would hold a minority stake in the venture, while its partner would provide most of the capital and technical expertise required to develop the facilities.
The initial phase is expected to deliver about 150MW of data centre capacity across Nigeria and South Africa, with additional expansion to be driven by demand for computing infrastructure.
The investment comes as demand for artificial intelligence infrastructure grows rapidly across Africa. The continent’s AI market is projected to increase from $4.5 billion in 2025 to $16.5 billion by 2030, driving demand for the computing power needed to develop and operate AI applications.
The planned data centres form part of MTN’s broader strategy to expand its digital infrastructure business and capitalise on the growing demand for AI and cloud services across its African markets.
In September 2025, MTN Group disclosed that it was in advanced discussions with United States and European companies over potential partnerships to develop data centres across Africa.
The group had said such partners could potentially expand into the 16 African markets where MTN operates, particularly countries experiencing growing demand for AI services.
MTN Nigeria has also been expanding its domestic data centre infrastructure.
In July 2026, the company launched the Sifiso Dabengwa Data Centre, which it described as West Africa’s largest Tier III data centre and one of Africa’s largest.
The facility has a capacity of 9MW and is equipped with cloud infrastructure designed to compete with services offered by major global technology companies, including Amazon, Microsoft and Google.
The proposed investment comes against the backdrop of a significant shortage of data centre infrastructure across Africa.
The International Monetary Fund, in its 2026 report Unlocking the Potential: AI in Sub-Saharan Africa, estimates that the region has about 160 data centre facilities, representing roughly 5.5 per cent of global installations despite its large population and rapidly growing workforce.
Existing infrastructure is also concentrated in a handful of countries. South Africa, Nigeria and Kenya account for nearly half of Sub-Saharan Africa’s data centres, leaving many other countries with limited computing infrastructure.
The infrastructure deficit is expected to become more pronounced as AI adoption accelerates.
Africa’s data centre market could require between $10 billion and $20 billion in fresh investment in the coming years to meet projected demand for computing capacity.
For MTN, the proposed 150MW development therefore represents not only an expansion of its digital infrastructure portfolio but also a bet on the growing demand for AI computing across some of Africa’s largest and most important markets.
