MultiChoice strengthens Africa’s digital ecosystem, protecting creative content and customer data through advanced cybersecurity solutions

Cybersecurity has evolved from a technical necessity to a core pillar of trust, business continuity, and safe digital experiences

For MultiChoice, Africa’s leading video entertainment company, protecting both customer data and the creative works at the heart of its business is a top priority. In an increasingly connected environment, threats such as phishing, ransomware, and piracy continually evolve, posing risks not only to corporate systems but also to the creative content that drives Africa’s entertainment economy.

To address these challenges, MultiChoice invests heavily in advanced cybersecurity systems, global best practices, and strategic partnerships. The company’s dedicated cybersecurity and information security teams monitor digital threats around the clock, ensuring data integrity and maintaining a secure environment for millions of customers across the continent. These efforts demonstrate that cybersecurity is not just about defending networks; it is also about protecting intellectual property and the creative output that fuels Africa’s storytelling industry.

A major area of focus for MultiChoice is combating piracy, one of the most persistent threats to the sustainability of local content. Piracy undermines creators, producers, and investors by depriving them of rightful earnings. To tackle this, MultiChoice has partnered with global leader Irdeto, a specialist in digital platform cybersecurity. Together, they have developed cutting-edge anti-piracy technologies capable of detecting, disrupting, and removing illegal content distribution networks in real time.

Beyond technology, MultiChoice collaborates closely with law enforcement to bring perpetrators to justice. Several operations have successfully dismantled piracy syndicates, leading to arrests and reinforcing the company’s commitment to defending Africa’s creative economy. Through these measures, MultiChoice is setting a benchmark for content protection across the continent, safeguarding intellectual property while supporting the growth of local creative industries.

Cybersecurity Awareness Month serves as a timely reminder that protecting digital assets, whether personal data or creative content, is a shared responsibility. MultiChoice continues to champion this mission by fostering a culture of awareness, innovation, and collaboration. By integrating advanced cybersecurity technologies, partnering with global experts, and actively supporting law enforcement efforts, the company ensures that African creativity is both respected and secure.

MultiChoice’s ongoing initiatives, from monitoring threats to combating piracy, reflect a broader mission: “to create a secure, trusted, and sustainable digital ecosystem where African creativity can thrive.” In doing so, the company not only protects its platforms and customers but also empowers the continent’s creative industry, ensuring that local storytellers, producers, and innovators can flourish in a safe and resilient digital environment.

The Octopi Distribution team celebrates. (Image source: Octopi)

Octopi Distribution has been named a dedicated HP Managed Print Solutions (MPS) distributor for the South African market and the wider sub-region

The company secured Tier 1 distribution rights for HP’s A3 and A4 managed print solutions across southern Africa, which it called a ‘major milestone’ in a media statement.

“Octopi Distribution is fully aligned with HP’s strategic objectives and market vision, ensuring seamless execution and maximum value for our clients,” said Safera Ibrahim, general manager, Octopi Distribution.

“By combining deep specialist expertise with an unwavering commitment to excellence, we deliver unmatched service and innovative Managed Print Solutions, reinforcing our status as a leading, strategic distributor and trusted partner in driving the future of HP Managed Print.”

The strategic partnership with HP positions Octopi Distribution as a leading distributor and service provider of specialised managed print solutions, supporting a select group of Tier 2 channel partners and resellers across the region with innovative, reliable, and customer-focused printing solutions and services, the Octopi statement noted.

Octopi Distribution, part of the Octopi Group, was formed to address the evolving needs of businesses seeking comprehensive, enterprise-grade print solutions.

The company's in-house HP Print Service Centre in Midrand, South Africa, provides fast support with strict quality control, ensuring minimal machine downtime, consistent service standards, and increased confidence for resellers and end-users.

In order to guarantee nationwide distribution and reach across South Africa and the larger southern Africa region, Octopi Distribution is supported by a number of key logistics partners.

“Octopi Distribution’s partners stand to gain significantly from the group’s comprehensive offerings, including asset and rental finance solutions, as well as the collective expertise in imports, logistics, supply chain services, sales and marketing, enabling efficient scaling, informed decision-making, and accelerated execution,” said Benno Spitholt, CEO of the Octopi Group.

“Furthermore, our established infrastructure allows us to support larger projects and rollouts with ease.”

The company’s sustainability commitments also align with HP’s global environmental goals, which includes responsible disposal and recycling programmes.

“HP Southern Africa is pleased to welcome Octopi Distribution as our new Tier 1 partner,” said Yesh Surjoodeen, managing director at HP Southern Africa.

“We are confident that they will play a pivotal role in expanding our A3 and A4 managed print services across the country and into Africa. Octopi Distribution’s deep industry knowledge, agile nature and customer centricity align perfectly with our ambition of delivering best-in-class managed print services.”

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Partnership fuels next-generation data centres

Are manufacturing cyberattacks increasing globally in 2025

Airtel breaks ground on new data centre 

Vertiv and Nxtra are setting a new benchmark for data infrastructure in Africa

In a move set to reshape Africa’s data centre landscape, Vertiv, a global leader in critical digital infrastructure, has deepened its collaboration with Airtel Africa through its data centre division, Nxtra

The partnership begins in Nigeria, marking a major step toward Nxtra’s vision of building one of Africa’s largest networks of high-capacity data centres

The initiative underscores Africa’s growing need for robust digital infrastructure to support its rapidly expanding population and digital economy. Drawing from Nxtra’s extensive operational experience in India, the company aims to replicate its success in Africa by strategically establishing modern facilities in key cities.

“Nxtra has been a valued customer for nearly three decades,” said Karsten Winther, President of Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) at Vertiv. “This next chapter in our collaboration demonstrates the power of combining local support in Africa with international manufacturing and innovation.”

The first of these projects, located in Nigeria, will feature a 42 MW facility developed through a four-phase rollout and expected to be fully operational by 2028. Vertiv will provide thermal management systems and uninterruptible power supply (UPS) units with batteries, ensuring energy efficiency, scalability, and reliability.

“As we invest into high-capacity, high-quality data centres for Africa, it was crucial to partner with a vendor who combines global capabilities with a strong local presence,” said Yash Issur, CEO of Nxtra by Airtel Africa. “Vertiv’s extensive multinational expertise, coupled with their established service team in Africa, provides us the reliability and support we need. We’re particularly pleased to name Vertiv as a main vendor for the first project in Nigeria and extend a collaboration ranging from India to Africa.”

Vertiv’s established Nigerian service team will oversee commissioning, handover, and five years of maintenance, providing vital local support to ensure seamless long-term operations.

A vision for sustainable expansion

According to Wojtek Piorko, managing director for Africa at Vertiv, Africa’s “data-hungry” population is a driving force behind the demand for more data centres. “Our collaboration in Africa with Nxtra marks an important milestone in strengthening Africa’s critical digital infrastructure,” he said. “Together, we are bringing proven global expertise and advanced technology into Nigeria and beyond.”

The partnership not only boosts connectivity but also represents a commitment to sustainable growth. Vertiv’s solutions will enable Nxtra to meet the region’s energy and efficiency demands while supporting environmental goals.

Looking beyond Nigeria, Nxtra and Vertiv are already planning future data centre developments in other Airtel Africa markets. The Nairobi-based facility is projected to surpass the Nigerian site in scale, reinforcing the companies’ long-term ambition to establish a continent-wide digital backbone that fuels innovation, drives local economies, and enhances Africa’s global connectivity.

With this collaboration, Vertiv and Nxtra are setting a new benchmark for data infrastructure in Africa, one that blends global expertise, local empowerment, and sustainable innovation to power the continent’s digital future.

Raxio-Laser Light Team to transform digital access in markets home to half a billion people

Africa’s underserved online markets are poised for a major digital breakthrough as Raxio Group, a leading pan-African data centre operator, teams up with Laser Light Africa, the regional arm of the U.S.-based advanced digital network provider

The collaboration is set to bring faster, more affordable, and more reliable internet access to some of the continent’s fastest-growing economies.

The partnership, Raxio-Laser Light Team to transform digital access in markets home to half a billion people, will combine Raxio’s expanding network of Tier III carrier-neutral data centres with Laser Light’s advanced optical infrastructure. This alliance will provide high-speed digital connectivity across seven strategic African markets: Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Côte d’Ivoire, Mozambique, Tanzania, and Uganda. Together, these countries represent a combined population of nearly 500 million people.

By hosting and routing data closer to users through Raxio’s state-of-the-art facilities and Laser Light’s global network, the partnership aims to reduce the cost of internet services, enhance reliability, and support Africa’s digital transformation across industries including finance, e-commerce, healthcare, education, and entertainment.

Laser Light’s technology integrates subsea, terrestrial, and satellite optical infrastructure into a single software-managed global platform capable of transmitting data at the speed of light. The company’s optical mesh network is engineered to handle massive data volumes efficiently while offering cloud solutions that meet the growing needs of modern enterprises and consumers.

Transformative benefits

As the demand for data continues to surge across the continent, African businesses and consumers still struggle with unreliable connections and high international bandwidth costs. The Raxio-Laser Light partnership aims to address these issues by delivering measurable improvements:

 *Reducing latency: Cutting transmission delays from hundreds of milliseconds to just a few, enabling real-time cloud computing, gaming, fintech, telemedicine, and AI-driven services.
 *Increasing reliability: Hosting applications in Tier III data centres designed for 99.982% uptime, equating to less than two hours of downtime per year.
 *Lowering costs: Through local caching and peering, wholesale bandwidth expenses could drop by up to 90%, ultimately lowering prices for end-users while increasing speeds.
 *Enhancing security: Fewer networks will handle private data during transit, reducing vulnerabilities.
 *Advancing sustainability: Laser Light’s optical transport technology, which relies on light instead of electricity for data transmission, consumes less power per unit of information while reducing the energy demand of long-distance routes.

Starting in Angola

The first rollout phase is scheduled for 2026, beginning in Angola, anchored by Raxio’s new data centre in Luanda. This facility will connect to the country’s subsea cable landings and the Angonix Internet Exchange Point, with subsequent expansions planned across all Raxio data centre locations.

“Digital infrastructure is the backbone of economic transformation,” said Robert Skjodt, CEO of Raxio Group. “By combining Raxio’s state-of-the-art facilities with Laser Light’s global optical network, we are delivering a platform that will power innovation, investment, and job creation for decades to come.”

Building ecosystems and skills

Beyond improving connectivity, the initiative is expected to create job opportunities in construction, operations, and network management, while supporting training programmes that develop local expertise in Tier III operations, peering, and optical technologies.

The partnership’s core focus areas include:

 *Infrastructure integration: Deploying Laser Light’s optical mesh network, combining terrestrial fibre, subsea cables, modular data systems, and MEO satellite connectivity across Raxio’s infrastructure.
 *Interconnectivity expansion: Establishing Points of Presence (PoPs) and interconnection hubs in Raxio data centres to enhance regional and international traffic.
 *Edge enablement: Developing edge data centre strategies to bring cloud, IoT, AI, and enterprise services closer to users.
 *Regulatory alignment: Ensuring compliance with local data sovereignty, energy, and ICT standards across all markets.

Together, Raxio and Laser Light are setting the stage for a more connected, inclusive, and sustainable digital future, unlocking Africa’s full technological potential and enabling economic growth across the continent.