South African real estate and property development company, the Cavaleros Group, is venturing into the data centre industry through the launch of a new division, Cosmas Data Cities.
The company has announced plans to develop two major data centre campuses in Johannesburg and Cape Town, signalling a significant expansion in Africa’s digital infrastructure landscape.
- Johannesburg Campus: Located in the Samrand area, this site is projected to offer up to 200MW of capacity powered by a 450MW self-built switching station. The development spans approximately 100 acres.
- Cape Town Campus: The Cape Town site is expected to deliver around 360MW, although specific location details and timelines remain undisclosed.
While exact project timelines and detailed specifications have not been shared, Cavaleros is actively collaborating with industry experts — including Knight Frank and Future-tech, a leading data centre engineering services provider — to bring these plans to fruition.
“For over five decades, the Cavaleros Group has built a legacy of vision, quality, and long-term partnerships. These data centre developments continue that legacy — combining our real estate expertise with Knight Frank’s industry insight and Future-Tech’s technical excellence to deliver infrastructure that powers Africa’s digital growth,” said Penny Cavaleros, CEO of the Cavaleros Group.
The company also revealed ongoing plans to expand into East and West Africa, although specific projects or locations are yet to be announced.
“South Africa holds immense importance as a gateway for hyperscalers, neoclouds, and global enterprises. With strong cloud regions and fibre connectivity, it is the continent’s primary destination for large-scale deployments,” said Oscar Matthews, Head of EMEA Data Center Investment & Development at Knight Frank.
Will Clarke, International Head of Site Selection & Development Director at Future-tech, added that Cavaleros’ investment in a self-built switching station significantly enhances Johannesburg’s infrastructure readiness, positioning the city as one of the most deployment-ready locations for hyperscale and AI investments in the region.
Founded in 1926 as a shopfitting company, the Cavaleros Group has evolved into a diversified property investment and development firm with holdings across retail, industrial, hotel, and commercial sectors within South Africa. Its move into data centres reflects a strategic shift toward supporting the country’s and continent’s digital economy, enabling the growth of cloud services, AI, and hyperscale computing. This expansion underscores South Africa’s emerging role as a key regional hub for digital infrastructure, driven by the need for large-scale, reliable data centre capacity to support Africa’s rapidly growing digital ecosystem.
