South Africa’s Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies, Solly Malatsi, has been confirmed as a speaker at African Energy Week 2026 in Cape Town, with his session framed specifically around data centres, artificial intelligence, and the electricity they need to run. The framing itself tells the real story: South Africa’s computing build-out has reached a point where the binding constraint is no longer connectivity or capital — it’s raw power supply.
The African Energy Chamber puts more than 58 commercial data centres currently operating across South Africa, with Microsoft expanding its local cloud and AI footprint through a R5.4 billion investment planned by 2027, while Amazon Web Services is working through a R30.4 billion multi-year commitment of its own. As a result, several data centre operators have started commissioning their own solar power generation rather than relying solely on the national grid.
“Investment in infrastructure and reliable energy will be essential to realising this potential,” said NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman of the African Energy Chamber. Separately, South Africa’s communications regulator allocated the entire 6GHz radio frequency band to international mobile telecommunications use as part of a national frequency plan finalized in July, freeing up additional spectrum to support the country’s growing digital infrastructure needs.