$60M to speed up digital connectivity infrastructure in Ethiopia, Djibouti, Tanzania

A data center operator, Wingu Africa, has announced the obtention of $60 million to accelerate the rollout of critical digital connectivity infrastructure in Ethiopia, Djibouti and Tanzania.

In the announcement, the company says the funding has been provided by a corporate and investment bank, Rand Merchant Bank, with the aim of strengthening the digital ecosystems in these three East African nations and power their digital transformation efforts.

Experts posit that digital connectivity is the cornerstone of Africa’s digital transformation and digital economy growth.

Ethiopia, one of the countries involved, says it also believes in stronger regional integration and trade, all of which rely largely on interoperability and connectivity infrastructure.

Wingu Africa says it currently serves more than 40 top-tier customers in that region of the continent with many of them major telecom and content providers, hyperscalers, and financial institutions.

It mentions that it also serves them with “resilient power, cooling, and security systems designed to support next-generation digital workloads” and that the new funding with help in fast-tracking the development of its “go-to platform for hyperscale, cloud and enterprise connectivity” across the region.

Following the fund raiser, the Group CEO at Wingu Africa, Anthony Voscarides, described the move as an investment towards Africa’s digital sovereignty.

“This is not just an investment in infrastructure, it’s an investment in Africa’s digital independence. We’re expanding the capacity that will empower innovation, accelerate economic growth, and connect Africa to the future,” he said.

The company’s deputy CEO, COO and Co-founder, Demos Kyriacou, also remarked: “The mission is clear: to build the digital backbone of Africa. We’re delivering at scale, with neutrality, trust, and vision, enabling the continent’s digital sovereignty and future growth.”

Corrie Cronje, a senior transactor at Rand Merchant Bank, said providing the funding shows the bank’s support for Wingu Africa’s “commitment to advancing digital growth across the continent” and its desire to invest in a connected future for all.

Mentioning some of its recent achievements in the East Africa region, Wingu Africa cites the recent launch of its second site in Djibouti where the country’s first integrated cable landing station and data center are housed, its Tier-III certified campus in Ethiopia which hosts ADDIX exchange, and a second facility currently being built in Tanzania to augment the digital workload capacity with more advanced infrastructure.

Article Topics

Africa  |  data center  |  digital inclusion  |  tech sovereignty  |  Wingu Africa