iXAfrica Data Centres unveiled the first phase of its NBOX1 hyperscale data centre in Nairobi on Wednesday, and has also signed a deal with Kenya Internet Exchange Point (KIXP) to establish a peering PoP at the facility.
The NBOX1 facility – which was first launched in July 2024 – houses 780 racks and features 4.5MW of IT capacity. It’s also part of a larger 22.5MW campus along Mombasa Road. iXAfrica has billed NBOX1 as the first hyperscale data centre in East Africa optimized for AI-driven workloads.
NBOX1 features seamless connectivity with major global and regional carriers, four secure fiber entry points and multiple internet exchanges including LINX Nairobi and KIXP, the latter of which announced the establishment of its peering point in NBOX1 on Thursday.
According to TechAfrica News, KIXP said the new PoP reduces latency and internet costs by localising exchange traffic and minimising dependency on expensive international routes.
iXAfrica CEO Snehar Shah said NBOX1 will meet growing demand for cloud and AI infrastructure while ensuring businesses across East Africa have access to secure and scalable digital solutions that drive innovation and economic growth.
“We are proud to unveil the first phase of our hyperscale data centre, which is ready to host the first hyperscale developments in the region as well as key government workloads to contribute significantly to the digitalization of services and the cloud adoption in our country,” he said in a statement.
Meanwhile, iXAfrica is developing two more data centre facilities in Nairobi: NBOX1.2, which will sport an IT capacity of 18MW, and the 11-acre NBOX2 Tilisi campus, which will provide 53MW of capacity.
At the launch of the first phase of NBOX1, Kenya Investment Authority (KenInvest) CEO John Mwendwa highlighted iXAfrica’s role in strengthening Kenya’s data sovereignty, accelerating digital transformation, and driving cloud adoption.
“Kenya is on the brink of a digital revolution, and investments like iXAfrica’s hyperscale data centre are pivotal in positioning the country as a premier technology and innovation hub,” Mwendwa said.
