MTN Group’s Digital Infrastructure division has entered into a strategic partnership with a United Arab Emirates (UAE)-backed data centre investment platform to accelerate the development of AI-ready digital infrastructure across Africa, signaling a major push to meet the continent’s growing demand for cloud computing and artificial intelligence services.
As part of the collaboration, MTN and its UAE-backed partner have established a new company, Africa Data Hub Holding Limited, which will serve as a platform for developing and scaling digital infrastructure opportunities across key African markets. The new entity combines MTN’s extensive African footprint, market knowledge, and existing infrastructure assets with international investment backing and specialised data centre expertise.
The partnership comes as demand for cloud computing, enterprise technology, and artificial intelligence services continues to grow across African markets, increasing the need for reliable and scalable data centre infrastructure. The Africa Data Hub will serve as the primary platform through which future digital infrastructure opportunities are identified, developed and scaled, with a focus on supporting the expansion of Africa’s digital economy.
This strategic move positions MTN to capture a significant share of the continent’s rapidly expanding data centre market, which is driven by the proliferation of connected devices, the rise of digital services, and the growing adoption of AI across various sectors. The initiative also supports MTN’s broader Ambition 2030 strategy, which includes expanding its digital infrastructure capabilities and positioning the group to capture opportunities arising from the continent’s accelerating digital transformation.
The partnership marks a significant step in the evolution of Africa’s digital infrastructure landscape, combining local expertise with international capital to build the foundational infrastructure needed for the continent’s digital future. By focusing on AI-ready data centres, the collaboration aims to ensure that Africa can leverage the transformative potential of AI while maintaining data sovereignty and supporting local innovation.
The establishment of Africa Data Hub Holding Limited represents a model for future infrastructure development on the continent, where partnerships between telecommunications operators, international investors, and technology specialists can deliver the scale and expertise needed to build world-class digital infrastructure. As Africa’s digital economy continues to grow, such collaborations will be essential to ensuring that the continent has the infrastructure to support its development aspirations.
