Johannesburg, South Africa, September 16, 2025- MTN Group Ltd., Africa’s largest mobile operator, is set to address the continent’s significant AI infrastructure gap by establishing a network of hyperscale AI-ready data centers. The company is in advanced negotiations with U.S. and European technology firms, including potential collaborations with hyperscalers like Microsoft, to co-develop these facilities. MTN plans to partially self-fund the project while seeking co-investors and infrastructure specialists to scale operations.
The initiative is led by MTN’s new unit, Genova, which focuses on monetizing telecom assets for AI services. Genova aims to build facilities equipped with AI compute power and lease capacity to enterprises, governments, and hyperscalers across Africa.
CEO Ralph Mupita said, “We are now in the commercial negotiation phase and shortlisting partners who can help us scale," he continued, “Our goal is to conclude these partnerships within the year.”
The first flagship project is a USD 240 million Tier III data center in Lagos, Nigeria, currently under construction since July 2025. This facility, with a 9 MW capacity, is expected to rival cloud services offered by AWS and Google. MTN’s expansion plan could span multiple sites, potentially reaching gigawatt-scale capacity.
Africa currently holds less than 1% of global AI data center capacity, highlighting the need for significant investment in digital infrastructure. MTN’s move positions the company as a key player in the continent’s AI ecosystem, aiming to boost local computing power and reduce reliance on foreign data centers that often raise costs and increase latency.
The project also addresses power challenges in unreliable grids by integrating renewable energy sources and exploring self-equipping data centers with proprietary hardware. Success in this venture could not only diversify MTN’s revenue streams but also contribute to the growth of Africa’s digital economy.
As MTN progresses with its plans, the company is closely monitoring the regulatory landscape and engaging with stakeholders to ensure the successful implementation of this ambitious project.
