MTN Group is moving deeper into Africa’s digital infrastructure market with a new partnership aimed at developing AI-ready data centres across the continent, beginning with South Africa and Nigeria.
In a statement issued on 27 August 2026, the telecoms group said MTN Digital Infrastructure had entered into a strategic partnership with a UAE-based data centre investment platform to accelerate the development of infrastructure capable of supporting cloud computing, enterprise workloads and artificial intelligence services.
The partnership will operate through Africa Data Hub Holding Limited, which MTN said will serve as the vehicle through which future digital infrastructure opportunities will be developed and scaled across key African markets.
From connectivity to computing infrastructure
For MTN, the move signals a broader shift beyond traditional mobile connectivity. The group has spent recent years expanding its digital and fintech businesses, and the latest initiative adds another layer to that strategy by targeting the physical infrastructure required to host and process increasingly data-intensive services.
MTN said the partnership combines its African footprint, market knowledge and infrastructure assets with specialist investment, development and operating expertise in the data centre sector. Bayobab, MTN’s digital connectivity business and a shareholder in the partnership, is expected to provide open-access connectivity and commercial support through its pan-African network.
The UAE-based investment platform was founded by data centre investor and operator Tarek Al Ashram. MTN has not disclosed the full capital structure of the partnership or detailed investment commitments for individual markets.
Why AI-ready infrastructure matters
The expansion comes as African businesses, governments and technology companies increase their use of cloud services, data analytics and AI tools. Those services depend on reliable computing infrastructure, power supply, high-capacity connectivity and secure local data-hosting environments.
MTN argues that locally hosted and scalable infrastructure will become increasingly important to Africa’s competitiveness as AI adoption grows. The group has positioned the project as part of its Ambition 2030 strategy, which seeks to expand its role in digital services and infrastructure across the continent.
The commercial logic is also significant. Data centres have become strategic infrastructure globally as demand rises for cloud capacity and AI computing. In Africa, the opportunity is shaped by a combination of fast-growing digital demand and uneven infrastructure availability across markets.
Reuters reported this week that the initial phase of MTN’s data centre push is expected to focus on South Africa and Nigeria and target about 150 megawatts of capacity. The wire service also reported that MTN will be a minority investor in the venture, with the UAE partner expected to provide most of the capital and technical expertise.
A wider infrastructure race
The initiative places MTN in a wider race among telecom operators, specialist data centre firms, cloud providers and infrastructure investors seeking to capture rising demand for African computing capacity.
For African markets, the strategic issue is increasingly not only internet access, but also where data is processed, where computing capacity is located and who finances the infrastructure behind emerging digital services.
MTN said future opportunities will be developed through Africa Data Hub Holding Limited, with expansion beyond South Africa and Nigeria expected to depend on market demand and investment conditions.
Sources
- MTN Group: MTN Group advances Africa’s AI-ready digital infrastructure ecosystem through strategic partnership, 27 August 2026.
- Reuters: Telecoms operator MTN eyes banking licences as it pushes deeper into lending, 25 August 2026.
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