There’s good news – potentially – for African data centre development with the announcement from Raxio Group, a sub-Saharan African data centre platform, that it has signed an agreement for US$100 million in financing from the International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group.
The funding will accelerate Raxio’s expansion of facilities powering key technologies like AI, cloud computing and digital financial services. In particular the debt funding from IFC will help Raxio double its deployment of high-quality colocation data centres within three years, addressing growing demand in underserved markets across the continent.
The company says it is developing a sub-Saharan African regional data centre platform in a number of countries including Ethiopia, Mozambique, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, Tanzania and Angola.
Raxio says it is committed to bridging Africa’s digital divide by introducing Tier III-certified, carrier-neutral, and secure data services to markets that have been overlooked by other providers. It adds that, with a focus on high-growth areas, the company is tapping into regions with significant economic potential to unlock new opportunities across the continent.
IFC’s commitment builds on earlier debt funding from French development finance institution Proparco and the Emerging Africa Asia Infrastructure Fund (EAAIF), along with equity investments from Africa-focused investment firm Roha Group and transformational infrastructure specialist Meridiam.
IFC’s financing includes concessional funding from the GROW Facility, which seeks to advance gender equity and inclusive economic growth through blended finance, and the IDA Private Sector Window, which supports private investment in the world’s poorest and most fragile markets.
Raxio says its facilities are designed for 24/7 reliability, ensuring uninterrupted service even during maintenance or unforeseen disruptions. The company integrates renewable energy solutions to minimise its environmental footprint and uses innovative energy-efficient equipment to reduce electricity and water consumption for cooling in several of its countries of operation.
