MTN Group has announced a strategic partnership with UAE based data centre investor Tarek Al Ashram to accelerate the development of AI-ready data-centre infrastructure across Africa. The initiative was announced on August 27, 2026, and will initially target South Africa and Nigeria.
What is being created?: The partners will operate through a new platform called Africa Data Hub Holding Limited. It combines MTN’s African infrastructure footprint and connectivity assets with Al Ashram’s experience in financing, developing and operating large-scale data centres.
MTN says the platform is intended to serve several rapidly growing markets:
* Artificial intelligence workloads
* Cloud computing
* Enterprise applications
* Digital services
* Hyperscale cloud providers
* Government and sovereign-data requirements
The goal is essentially to put more of the computing infrastructure needed for AI inside Africa, rather than relying heavily on infrastructure located elsewhere.
Initial Target: 150 MW of AI capacity
MTN CEO Ralph Mupita said the company is taking a phased approach, with the initial build-out targeting 150 megawatts of AI data-centre capacity across South Africa and Nigeria. MTN has also reportedly been acquiring land and negotiating power arrangements to support a multi-phase deployment.
That is significant because AI data centres require enormous amounts of electricity, cooling and high-capacity networking. Building them isn’t simply a matter of installing more servers, but the availability of reliable power and fibre connectivity can determine whether a location is commercially viable.
Why MTN is particularly well positioned: MTN already has a major connectivity footprint across Africa. Its digital infrastructure subsidiary Bayobab will be a shareholder in the new venture and will provide open-access connectivity and go-to-market support through its pan-African network.
This creates an important combination:
– Fibre + subsea connectivity → Data centres → Cloud → AI
Instead of simply selling network connectivity, MTN is attempting to capture more value from the digital infrastructure sitting on top of that network.
MTN’s broader strategy has already identified data centres and fibre as key components of its digital infrastructure business, particularly as AI drives demand for computing and data storage.
Why South Africa and Nigeria?
The choice of these two countries makes strategic sense. South Africa has one of Africa’s most developed data-centre and cloud markets, substantial subsea connectivity and a mature enterprise technology ecosystem.
Nigeria, meanwhile, provides access to one of Africa’s largest economies and technology markets, with rapidly increasing demand for cloud and digital services.
Starting in these two markets gives the partnership established commercial centres from which it can potentially expand into other African countries.
The role of Tarek Al Ashram:
Tarek Al Ashram brings specialised data-centre expertise from the Middle East. He is associated with Gulf Data Hub, a major data-centre platform backed by KKR, and his investment firm will support the new Africa Data Hub venture.
For MTN, this partnership potentially reduces the need to develop all of the data-centre expertise and capital requirements internally.
For Al Ashram, Africa represents a major growth opportunity as businesses, governments and technology companies increasingly require local computing infrastructure.
Why this matters for Africa’s AI future: Africa has been relatively underrepresented in global AI infrastructure. News24 reports that the continent currently accounts for less than 1% of global AI data-centre capacity, despite its rapidly growing digital economy.
That creates a significant infrastructure gap. AI models require enormous amounts of computing power, while businesses increasingly want their data processed closer to where it is generated. Governments are also becoming more interested in data sovereignty, meaning sensitive information can remain within national or regional borders.
If MTN and Al Ashram successfully build the planned infrastructure, African businesses could gain access to more locally hosted AI and cloud computing without sending as much data and processing overseas.
The Strategic View:
This partnership is about more than building server facilities. It represents MTN’s attempt to evolve from a traditional telecommunications operator into a broader digital-infrastructure company.
The strategy could eventually position MTN to earn revenue from several layers of the digital economy:
Connectivity → Fibre → Data centres → Cloud infrastructure → AI workloads
The partnership is still at an early stage, however. While 150 MW has been reported as the initial target, details such as specific sites, construction schedules and the total investment required have not been fully disclosed.
Industry Impact: MTN is betting that Africa’s next major digital growth cycle will not just be about smartphones and mobile data but it will be about AI computing infrastructure. By combining MTN’s connectivity and African market presence with Tarek Al Ashram’s data-centre expertise and investment, the new Africa Data Hub could become an important piece of the continent’s emerging AI infrastructure ecosystem.
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