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29 October 2026 venue Maslow Hotel Sandton, JohannesburgAfrica's Digital Backbone: powering a connected continent

Where the data centre build-out meets the energy, water and capital to deliver it

Data centres are emerging as Africa's new industrial powerhouse — with global demand projected to jump 788 TWh and drive a 20% increase in power demand. The Data Centre Summit brings together developers, operators, utilities, regulators and investors to close the continent's 20-gigawatt infrastructure gap and build the digital capacity Africa's growth depends on.

  • The AI goldrush and the grid capacity to power it
  • Data sovereignty, localisation laws and the shift to domestic builds
  • The resource nexus: power, water and next-generation cooling
  • Financing, designing and greening Africa's digital infrastructure
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Programme themes Four conversations shaping the continent's digital backbone

The programme follows the full value chain — from macro demand and regulation through to the power, water and capital that turn projects into operating assets.

The Macro Landscape & AI Goldrush

Sizing the opportunity — and the constraint. What the global demand surge means for African markets, and where the capacity to serve it will come from.

  • The 788 TWh demand jump and Africa's position in it
  • Closing the 20 GW infrastructure gap
  • Grid upgrades, renewables and wastewater recycling at project scale
  • From offshore hosting to domestic builds

Sovereignty & Regional Focus

Data sovereignty as a growth catalyst. Tightening African data localisation laws are forcing a shift to domestic builds — and driving private utility investment.

  • Localisation laws and national data regulation as regional catalysts
  • The rise of private utility investment behind domestic capacity
  • Municipal resource loads and how cities absorb them
  • Country spotlight: South Africa

The Resource Nexus: Power, Water, Cooling

A data centre is an energy and water asset first. The 24/7 grid challenge pits rising nuclear costs against falling solar costs — and puts water accountability on every operator's agenda.

  • The power narrative: nuclear vs. solar for always-on load
  • Water — the hidden digital resource: waste-heat reuse and accountability
  • Cooling frontiers: the transition from air to liquid
  • H200-class chips, rack density and what they demand of design

Building the Future

Three deep-dive masterclasses take the strategic conversation into practical territory — financing, design and green energy for African data centre projects.

  • Masterclass A: Financing the Backbone
  • Masterclass B: Design for African Realities
  • Masterclass C: Green Energy Advancements
  • Expert-led, workshop-format sessions with project owners

The Data Centre Summit programme.

One day on the infrastructure behind Africa's digital growth, from data sovereignty and grid capacity to water, cooling and the energy deals that power heavy digital loads.

Thursday 29 October Data Centre Summit · One day
09:0009:05
Opening Welcome & opening remarks
09:1010:00
Opening keynote AI digital backbone goldrush
10:0010:45
Country spotlight South Africa
10:4511:00
Case study spotlight Municipal blueprint vs. hyperscale growth: lessons from Cape Town's digital infrastructure strategy
11:0011:30
Refresh and Connect
11:3012:15
Cross-sector panel The convergence economy: data centres as Africa's new industrial powerhouse
12:3013:30
Lunch & networking
13:3014:30
Power narrative Holistic challenges and the 24/7 grid
14:3015:00
Executive session Water talk: the hidden resource in digital infrastructure
15:0015:30
Refresh and Connect
15:3016:00
Session Cooling frontiers: from air to liquid
15:3016:30
Masterclass Data centre design for African realities 15:30 – 16:30 Masterclass details ↓
Masterclass Green energy advancements: unlocking the barriers to Africa's green future 15:30 – 16:30 Masterclass details ↓
16:30
All programmes A social pause: Connect networking function · Close of summit

Two masterclasses. One afternoon. Choose your track.

The Data Centre Summit closes with two parallel masterclasses: one on designing facilities for African conditions, one on the green energy deals that power them.

Masterclass · Data Centre

Data centre design for African realities

Practical site selection, energy-led footprint reduction and designing resilient facilities amid grid instability and water stress.

Focus areas

  • Practical site selection
  • Energy-led footprint reduction
  • Resilience to grid instability
  • Designing for water stress
Masterclass · Data Centre

Green energy advancements: unlocking the barriers to Africa's green future

Overcoming wheeling hurdles, executing multi-buyer PPAs and integrating battery storage (BESS) for heavy digital loads.

Focus areas

  • Overcoming wheeling hurdles
  • Executing multi-buyer PPAs
  • Integrating BESS for heavy digital loads

This is the outline. The brochure is the detail.

Every session description, discussion point and confirmed timing across the Data Centre Summit and the three co-located programmes.

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Who attends

Industries represented:

  • Cooling Technology Providers & EPCs
  • Cooling Technology Providers & EPCs
  • Private Equity & Infrastructure Investors
  • Commercial Banks & DFIs
  • Utilities & Municipalities
  • Large C&I End-Users: Mining & Agro-processing
  • Independent Power Producers
  • Data Centre Operators & Hyperscalers

Ticket Options Experience the C&I Energy + Storage Summit

Data Centre Summit

One day only, 29th Oct

Package includes:

  • Data Centre Summit access
  • Networking function
  • Lunch
  • Teas & Coffees