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The partnership combines MTN Digital Infrastructure’s existing African footprint and infrastructure assets with Al Ashram’s experience in data center development, operation, and investment
In sum – what to know:
150MW first phase – MTN Group CEO Ralph Mupita said the partnership will initially target 150MW of AI-ready data center capacity across South Africa and Nigeria, with expansion tied to demand.
New infrastructure platform – Africa Data Hub Holding Limited will develop and scale data center projects, combining MTN Digital Infrastructure’s assets and market presence with the investment and development expertise of Tarek Al Ashram’s UAE-based platform.
Connectivity and DC converge – Bayobab will provide open-access connectivity through its pan-African network, linking the planned facilities to MTN’s broader digital infrastructure footprint.
MTN Group is targeting 150MW of AI-ready data center capacity in South Africa and Nigeria in the first phase of a new infrastructure partnership, as demand for cloud, AI, and other data-intensive services grows across African markets.
MTN Digital Infrastructure has partnered with a UAE-based data center investment platform founded by Tarek Al Ashram, the founder of Gulf Data Hub. The partnership will operate through Africa Data Hub Holding Limited, a new entity intended to develop and scale digital infrastructure projects, initially in South Africa and Nigeria.
MTN Group CEO Ralph Mupita confirmed the 150MW target during a media roundtable. “For now, only in South Africa and Nigeria, we are in that partnership, looking at 150MW as phase 1,” Mupita said. “We will build out as demand requires.”
The partnership combines MTN Digital Infrastructure’s existing African footprint and infrastructure assets with Al Ashram’s experience in data center development, operation, and investment. Bayobab, MTN’s digital connectivity business and a shareholder in the partnership, will provide open-access connectivity and go-to-market support through its pan-African network.
The initial focus on South Africa and Nigeria reflects two of the continent’s largest digital markets, while the structure leaves room for the platform to pursue additional infrastructure opportunities across Africa. MTN, however, has not provided a timeline for the deployment of the initial 150MW or disclosed the specific sites, investment value or individual project capacities.
For Al Ashram, the partnership extends his data center investment and development activities from the Middle East into African markets. He founded Gulf Data Hub in the UAE in 2011 and has described the new platform as a vehicle for investing in and developing large-scale data center infrastructure in Africa.
Africa’s AI infrastructure gap remains substantial. The World Economic Forum says the continent is home to 18% of the world’s population but accounts for less than 1% of global data center capacity. At the same time, researchers, startups and SMEs face an estimated 7 million GPU hours of unmet demand for model training over the next three years, while only 5% of African AI innovators have reliable access to advanced compute.
The WEF identifies a broader “compute paradox”: adding data center capacity alone may not be enough if GPU economics, power costs, datasets, demand, and skills remain misaligned. High financing costs, fragmented demand, and expensive GPU access can leave infrastructure underutilized. The WEF argues that coordinated investment in GPUs, renewable energy, connectivity, demand aggregation, and skills could help create a more sustainable market for AI compute.
The potential economic impact is significant. The WEF cites estimates that AI could generate $1.2 trillion-$1.5 trillion in economic value in Africa by 2030, but says unlocking that opportunity will require catalytic and commercial capital to work together. Renewable-powered compute, GPU-as-a-Service models and governments acting as anchor customers are among the approaches proposed to improve utilization and lower access costs.
