Future-proofing data centres across EMEA
10 March 2026
A recent study commissioned by Lenovo and conducted with Opinium reveals that traditional data centre designs are increasingly inadequate to meet the evolving demands of businesses across EMEA. Key challenges include supporting AI workloads efficiently, achieving sustainability goals, and complying with data sovereignty regulations — all while managing rising energy consumption and costs.
Although 92% of IT decision-makers prioritise partners who reduce energy use and emissions, only 46% believe their current infrastructure supports these sustainability targets. Conventional cooling methods like air cooling are struggling to balance efficiency, cost, and environmental impact amid exponential data growth.
How data centres are reshaping Africa’s power market
06 March 2026
African Energy Chamber
The global digital economy is driving an unprecedented surge in electricity demand from data centers and IT infrastructure. Worldwide, uninterruptible power supply demand for IT equipment alone is forecast to reach 249 GW by 2030, with total installed capacity, including cooling and ancillary loads, expected to climb to 374 GW.
For Africa, where digitalization, cloud adoption and mobile services are accelerating, this trend presents both a challenge and an opportunity. According to the African Energy Chamber’s (AEC) (https://EnergyChamber.org) State of African Energy 2026 Outlook, data centers are poised to become a transformative force within the continent’s power markets, reshaping investment priorities ahead of African Energy Week (AEW) 2026.
$36 billion annually needed by 2040 to accelerate Africa’s digital infrastructure growth
17 February 2026
A new report titled "African Development Dynamics 2025: Infrastructure, Growth and Transformation," published in late November by OECD and the African Union Commission, highlights that Africa must invest $36 billion annually in fiber optic cables by 2040 to drive its productive transformation.
This figure accounts for roughly 23% of Africa’s total annual infrastructure needs, estimated at $155 billion, though it remains lower than investments required for roads ($50 billion) and railways ($38 billion).
