PAIX to build data center in SenegalPAIX to build data center in Senegal

PAIX Data Centres is growing its reach in West Africa and plans to build a new data center in Dakar, Senegal, which will be online in 2026.

Paula Gilbert, Editor

January 27, 2025

2 Min Read
Digital rendering of the planned PAIX Dakar data center in Senegal
Digital rendering of the planned PAIX Dakar data center in Senegal.(Source: PAIX Data Centres)

PAIX Data Centres has announced the construction of a new data center in Dakar, Senegal, with the first phase of the project scheduled to be operational in 2026.

The firm said the move into Senegal will help with its network expansion in West Africa to meet the growing demand for digital infrastructure in the region.

PAIX is already operational in Ghana and Kenya and has four other facilities under construction including PAIX Dakar.

The company said it had already purchased the land to build the data center, which will have over 900 square meters of colocation space, 330 bays to house IT equipment, and critical power of up to 1.2 megawatts.

"PAIX Data Centres' investment in the PAIX Dakar data center positions it at the crossroads of connectivity between West Africa, Europe and South America. The strong network hub created by the aggregation of multiple submarine cable landing points connecting to terrestrial cables makes Dakar a very attractive gateway," said PAIX Data Centres CEO Wouter van Hulten.

Several submarine cables are already connected to Dakar, including ACE, MainOne, Sat-3, SHARE and 2Africa.

PAIX Data Centres CEO Wouter van Hulten.

Van Hulten said the company had received strong interest from its cloud, connectivity, content delivery network and social media customers, and PAIX plans to develop "thriving cloud and content magnet hubs" in Dakar.

Related:Four cloud trends on the rise in 2025

The data center provider believes PAIX Dakar will provide digital infrastructure to support innovation and economic growth in West Africa and will provide local businesses with access to reliable connectivity and high-quality colocation services.

Sustainability and job creation

PAIX Data Centres has made a series of environmental commitments including using 100% renewable energy in the construction of its data centers by 2030.

It said its operational strategies aim to optimize the maximum use of local resources, operating at the most efficient temperatures and saving cooling water consumption in water-stressed regions.

PAIX has also promised that the construction and operation of the PAIX Dakar data center will create jobs in Senegal.

Nearly 200 workers will be involved in building the infrastructure, while around 20 employees will work full-time to operate the data center in Dakar, and there will be other business opportunities for suppliers, including architects, engineering consultants, contractors and maintenance companies.

Africa50, a pan-African infrastructure investor and asset manager, has invested over $30 million in growth equity in PAIX Data Centres to support the company's expansion into new markets and upgrade current facilities.

Related:PAIX Data Centres adds capacity in Ghana

PAIX Data Centres is a member of the European Global Gateway Business Advisory Group and works in collaboration with the European Union to foster the development of digital infrastructure on the African continent.

PAIX is part of a growing list of data center operators that are expanding across Africa including Raxio Group, Africa Data Centres, Equinix and Open Access Data Centres (OADC).

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West Africa

About the Author

Paula Gilbert

Editor, Connecting Africa

Paula has been the Editor of Connecting Africa since June 2019 and has been reporting on key developments in Africa's telecoms and ICT sectors for most of her journalistic career.

The award-winning South Africa-based journalist previously worked as a producer and reporter for business television channels Bloomberg TV Africa and CNBC Africa, was the telecoms editor at online publication ITWeb, and started her career in radio news. She has an Honors degree in Journalism from Rhodes University.

Paula was recognized by Empower Africa as one of 35 trailblazers who shaped Africa's tech landscape in 2023 and she won the Excellence in ICT Journalism category at the MTN Women in ICT Awards in 2017.

Travel is always on Paula's mind, she has visited 40 countries so far and is currently researching her next adventure.

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