In an exclusive interview with TechCabal, Bhavik Pattni and Yannick Sukakumu, players in the data centre industry in Africa, discuss Raxio Group's mission to drive Africa's digital economy through carrier-neutral colocation data centres. Raxio Group's vision is to lead digital transformation in the region by providing world-class infrastructure for organizations to grow and reach their potential. The company has expanded its operations to several African countries, including Uganda, Ethiopia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Mozambique, impacting local businesses by providing secure and reliable data centres.

Sustainability is a key focus for Raxio Group, with a commitment to greenfield investments and sustainable infrastructure. The company carefully selects locations for its facilities, considering abundant and backup power sources, and uses solar power to supplement grid power in some markets. They have achieved high efficiency in their data centres and have secured sustainability-linked debt facilities to meet certain sustainability targets.

Raxio Group is working to forge partnerships and engage with stakeholders, including carriers, internet service providers, regulators, and other data centre operators, to drive the development of the data centre industry in Africa. However, challenges remain, such as a lack of connectivity infrastructure, regulatory uncertainty, and high construction costs. Despite these challenges, Raxio Group is committed to playing a leading role in the growth of the African data centre market.

Looking ahead, Raxio Group plans to establish a network of interconnected data centres across the African continent, bringing five facilities online in the next 3 to 18 months. The company aims to have a presence in every major African metro, providing world-class infrastructure to support the development of digital economies.

In the Democratic Republic of Congo, Yannick Sukakumu leads Raxio Group's efforts to build data centres and contribute to the country's digital economy. The company has made significant investments to address challenges like stable and reliable energy sources and aims to support the local technology ecosystem by providing basic infrastructure for various players in the digital value chain. Raxio Group is working with local stakeholders, including government agencies and tech startups, to boost innovation and digital transformation in the DRC, positioning the country for economic growth and job creation in the technology sector.

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