iXAfrica secures funding from RMB to expand Nairobi data centre by 20 MW

IX Africa Data Centre Limited and Rand Merchant Bank, a division of FirstRand Limited, have announced the successful closing of a multi-tranche funding package to drive the next stage of iXAfrica’s expansion

The financing will enable iXAfrica to respond to the region’s rising digital needs by supporting the construction of an additional 20 MW of IT power at its Nairobi data centre campus. This development builds on the initial phase, which currently delivers 2.25 MW already in operation.

RMB structured a tailored financing solution for iXAfrica, signalling the start of a new partnership and highlighting the bank’s commitment to working with top-tier clients across the continent.

“Our company has bold plans and ambitions, and we’ve been consistently delivering on them,” remarked Guy Willner, chairman of iXAfrica. “Closing this financing with RMB secures our next phase of growth and positions us to welcome more hyperscale and AI customers. We remain committed to expanding our East African footprint and deepening our investment in Kenya.”

“This transaction reflects RMB’s commitment to supporting scalable, high-impact digital infrastructure across Africa,” concluded Corrie Cronje, senior transactor RMB.

ZTE Corporation and MTN achieve a global first with the commercial rollout of a 5-band RRU in South Africa’s Western Cape

ZTE Corporation, a global leader in integrated ICT solutions, together with MTN, one of Africa’s largest telecom operators, has announced the world’s first commercial deployment of a 5-band Remote Radio Unit (RRU)

The breakthrough, achieved in South Africa’s Western Cape Province, marks a major advancement in radio frequency technology and adds momentum to the continent’s telecom evolution.

South Africa, home to over 60 million people, is among Africa’s most advanced telecommunications markets. MTN currently provides more than 97% LTE population coverage across the nation, underscoring its mission to deliver quality connectivity, even to remote communities.

As customer demand for multi-band and multi-module services increases, operators face hurdles such as high power consumption, tower load, and space limitations. MTN’s adoption of the 5-band RRU offers a direct solution, boosting network performance, improving energy efficiency, and simplifying deployments to enable faster and more sustainable expansion of advanced connectivity.

Traditionally, adding new frequency bands requires new hardware, additional space, and more power. The new 5-band RRU, powered by ZTE’s in-house chipset, combines MTN South Africa’s low and mid bands (FDD) into one compact unit. This innovation cuts RAN RF modules on towers by half, reduces equipment weight by 23%, and lowers wind resistance by 18%. These optimisations ease site construction, reduce complexity, and free tower space.

ZTE has also introduced its Super-N amplifier architecture, which activates dense arrays of amplifiers on demand, overcoming the limitations of traditional Doherty systems. This design maintains efficiency under variable loads, achieving a 42.7% reduction in site power consumption and a 45.8% improvement in energy efficiency (Wh/GB). The results support South Africa’s push for a greener, low-carbon society and set a global benchmark for sustainable telecom development.

Rami Farah, chief technology officer, MTN South Africa, commented, "MTN's collaboration with ZTE on the world's first 5-band RRU commercial deployment effectively addresses multiple challenges faced by operators in terms of coverage, capacity, cost, and energy efficiency. It provides a new, replicable, highly integrated site solution for Africa and even the global market, accelerating the evolution of telecommunication networks towards higher efficiency and lower carbon emissions, continuously injecting core momentum into Africa's digital economy and promoting African telecommunication technologies to a higher level."

Luca Shen, CEO, ZTE South Africa, remarked, "ZTE has always regarded product leadership as its core competitiveness and is committed to delivering cutting-edge solutions. The in-depth collaboration with MTN not only achieves mutual benefits and win-win outcomes for both parties but also accelerates the rapid upgrade of South Africa's telecommunication network, setting a benchmark for digital transformation across the African continent."

Both ZTE and MTN have reaffirmed their dedication to advancing Africa’s digital infrastructure, emphasising energy conservation, emission reduction, and digital economy growth. With a shared vision of “protecting nature through technology and driving the future through innovation”, the companies will continue to work together to bridge the digital divide, deliver sustainable, smart networks, and contribute to wider economic and social development across the continent.

Carel Coetzee CEO of NEC XON. (Image source: NEC XON)

Across Africa, industries working in remote and hard-to-reach areas continue to face one pressing challenge: reliable, high-speed connectivity

Mining operations in rural regions, offshore oil platforms, government outposts, and agricultural enterprises often function in locations where fibre deployment is not practical, mobile coverage is inconsistent, and microwave networks are expensive or slow to deploy. For these sectors, data access is not a luxury but a vital operational requirement.

NEC XON, in partnership with Eutelsat OneWeb, is tackling these challenges through an integrated approach. By combining enterprise-grade Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite connectivity with innovative last-mile solutions, the company is building a model for connectivity in Africa’s most demanding environments.

Understanding the challenges of remote operations

Enterprises located far from urban centres face unique connectivity barriers that can directly affect productivity, safety, and growth. Infrastructure gaps remain a major obstacle as fibre and traditional terrestrial networks rarely extend to these sites. Building new infrastructure can take months and cost millions. In industries such as mining, oil and gas, and logistics, operational continuity is crucial. Even short downtime periods can disrupt safety monitoring, halt production, and compromise regulatory compliance.

These industries also require flexibility and resilience. Temporary sites or mobile operations demand scalable solutions that can adapt as the business moves or grows. In areas with inconsistent fibre or mobile coverage, dependable backup connectivity is essential. Without redundancy and resilience, remote operations risk costly disruptions and missed opportunities.

“These challenges require a different approach to connectivity,” commented Wally Beelders, executive: Communications Solutions at NEC XON. “It’s not just about putting a satellite terminal somewhere. It’s about creating a fully integrated, end-to-end service that meets the operational, regulatory, and security requirements of the sectors we serve.”

To strengthen this offering, NEC XON integrates bundled last-mile solutions such as point-to-point, point-to-multipoint, and Super Wi-Fi networks. Carel Coetzee, CEO of NEC XON, explained, “What sets us apart from other distributors is a product portfolio that allows for integrated last-mile solutions. We can stack this on the back end of your OneWeb, which serves as the backhaul. We bundle these solutions together to provide more comprehensive coverage, connecting schools, hospitals, clinics, communities… at a more affordable rate.”

Key differentiators for African industries

The combined NEC XON and OneWeb approach is well suited to Africa’s diverse environments:

• Fully integrated backhaul and last-mile solutions, providing end-to-end connectivity from satellite terminal to user

• Rapid deployment, with installations completed within days to bring critical operations online almost immediately

• Pan-African presence, with NEC XON’s strong footprint across the continent enabling fast response times, local support, and culturally informed engagement

• Enterprise and carrier-grade reliability, designed for mission-critical applications rather than consumer services

• Super Wi-Fi technology, offering a coverage radius of up to 1.7 km for enterprise campuses, rural communities, and mobile operations

Through this integration, NEC XON delivers comprehensive coverage in regions once considered inaccessible or too costly to connect. Enterprises and communities can now rely on affordable, dependable connectivity where they need it most.