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IXAfrica: Building East Africa’s First AI-Ready, Hyperscaler Data Centre in Kenya

July 18, 2025

In this exclusive interview, Mr. Snehar Shah, CEO of IXAfrica, outlines the company’s leadership role as East Africa’s largest AI-ready and hyperscaler-ready data centre, based in Nairobi, Kenya. IXAfrica operates NBOX1, a carrier-neutral facility strategically located near Nairobi’s airport, and is developing NBOX1.2 and NBOX2, which together will expand their data centre capacity to over 75 megawatts.

The NBOX1 facility currently hosts over 20 network providers and two major internet exchanges—the Kenya Internet Exchange and the London Internet Exchange (LINX). With its high-density GPU hosting capabilities, including support for racks requiring up to 50 kilowatts, IXAfrica is the only data centre in Kenya engineered to support AI workloads, positioning itself as a regional digital infrastructure leader.

Through a strategic partnership with Safaricom, East Africa’s leading telecom operator, IXAfrica is jointly targeting enterprise clients and cloud providers. The company is also engaged in advanced discussions with hyperscalers, such as Oracle—which has announced plans to establish a sovereign cloud in Kenya—and Microsoft, which is investing $1 billion into a regional cloud zone in the country.

As a sustainable data centre, IXAfrica leverages Kenya’s 93% renewable energy mix, including geothermal energy from Olkaria. With upcoming power wheeling legislation, the company aims to source green energy directly, enhancing its ESG compliance and lowering operational costs. It is also EcoVadis-certified, reinforcing its commitment to sustainable data infrastructure.

On the talent front, IXAfrica is addressing the data centre skills gap in Africa through partnerships with organisations like Nomad Futurists and local initiatives that train university interns in cloud engineering and data centre operations. This initiative aligns with their long-term vision to build a scalable African talent pipeline for the global digital economy.

The company is also at the forefront of AI policy discussions, contributing to regulatory frameworks on data sovereignty, digital policy, and AI governance in collaboration with the Kenyan government and the United Nations AI board.

Looking ahead, IXAfrica plans to scale its infrastructure, onboard AI companies, expand its cloud services, and strengthen its position as the go-to data centre in East and Central Africa. With backing from Helios Investment Partners, IXAfrica is not only investing in Kenya but also exploring broader expansion in Tier 1 African markets, including Egypt, Nigeria, and Morocco.

Typotech Kenya’s CEO Alfred Kandara on Transforming Printing and Packaging in East Africa

July 17, 2025

Typotech Imaging Systems, formerly known as Imaging Solutions, has repositioned itself as a complete printing and packaging solutions provider in East Africa. Under the leadership of CEO Alfred Kandara, the company has expanded beyond its original focus on pre-press solutions to offer end-to-end services including pre-press, press, and finishing equipment, along with workflow software, consumables, and training.

Now serving key sectors such as newspaper printing, commercial printing, book printing, and most importantly, packaging printing (including paper, board, metal, and textile packaging), Typotech aims to become the first point of contact for high-end printing and packaging solutions in Eastern Africa. The company is particularly targeting the fast-growing packaging industry in Kenya, Uganda, and Ethiopia, and plans to expand across the East African Community and later into Central and West Africa.

Kandara highlights that the commercial printing industry in Africa is slowing, while packaging printing solutions — including metal packaging, corrugated packaging, and textile printing — continue to see sustained growth. This shift is driven by increased demand for labeling and product packaging across sectors, from home-based manufacturers to multinational FMCG brands.

Typotech also places a strong emphasis on sustainability in printing and packaging, ensuring all imported printing consumables meet environmental standards, especially for food-grade packaging. They supply eco-friendly inks, non-toxic print chemicals, and sustainable substrates tailored to local market regulations.

With ambitions to dominate the East African packaging market, Typotech partners with globally recognized equipment manufacturers to deliver state-of-the-art solutions. From computer-to-plate systems, digital workflow automation, to press and finishing machinery, the company supports the region’s shift toward modern, scalable, and sustainable packaging solutions.

How Storage Central is Expanding Secure Self-Storage Across Nairobi

July 15, 2025

Storage Central is a modern self-storage company in Nairobi focused on delivering secure, affordable, and flexible storage solutions to Kenya’s growing urban population and SME sector. In this in-depth interview, CEO Gerardo Segura and COO Nicholas Sadron shares the company’s vision, expansion strategy, and the unique advantages that make Storage Central Nairobi’s preferred provider of self-storage solutions.

Since its last funding round, the company has raised $700,000 to expand its Nairobi storage facility, adding 1,800 square meters and 180 new storage rooms. With occupancy averaging 75 percent, demand for secure storage units in Nairobi remains strong. This modern self-storage facility now offers nearly 7,900 sqm of leasable space with 860 individual storage units, reflecting Nairobi’s growing need for dedicated storage solutions tailored to both residential and SME storage needs.

Nicholas Sadron highlights that self-storage in Nairobi is not only about warehouse alternatives but about enabling flexible storage options that support Kenya’s micro-SMEs, NGOs, and entrepreneurs. Affordable and secure self-storage Nairobi solutions allow businesses to scale up during busy seasons and downsize in slow periods without long-term commitments, supporting economic resilience and sustainable growth. Examples include Matumba dealers in Nairobi who use pay-as-you-use storage units for sorting and distributing secondhand clothing, and medical supply companies like Field Technologies, which grew from 20 to 325 square meters within Storage Central’s facility.

Storage Central’s strategic expansion plan aims to develop 15 to 20 new storage facilities in East Africa, including key markets such as Kampala, Dar es Salaam, and Mauritius, over the next decade. The company is currently looking to raise $20 million to build five additional storage facilities in Nairobi, emphasizing the investment opportunity in East Africa’s self-storage industry. The CEO notes that self-storage investment East Africa represents a rare, untapped market, given the region’s urban density, growing SME sector, and lack of modern self-storage facilities.

Gerardo Segura explains their financing strategy, preferring debt over equity to reduce shareholder dilution while balancing foreign exchange risk with a currency buying program. He describes Storage Central’s lean business model as inherently resilient, with low operational costs, month-to-month rental flexibility, and highly atomized customer base that diversifies risk and ensures financial stability.

Beyond offering secure rental storage units, Storage Central provides value-added services such as insurance-included storage units (with standard coverage of KES 50,000), locks, and transport assistance. Its digital experience includes an online space calculator and reservation system, with plans to scale CRM systems and localize services in Swahili and English to support expansion across East African markets. However, the CEO emphasizes that despite AI and automation trends in global self-storage markets, human-centered customer service remains a competitive advantage in Africa, where face-to-face engagement and trust-building are essential for converting customers.

Gerardo Segura’s message to investors is clear: Storage Central is unlocking opportunity in Africa’s overlooked markets by offering modern, accessible, and flexible storage solutions. It’s not about creating a new need but improving an existing one with purpose-built self-storage facilities that are safe, convenient, and tailored to local realities.

Aaron Tawiah on Building Estaaron Ventures: From Cement Distribution to Real Estate in Ghana

July 9, 2025

In this in-depth interview, Aaron Tawiah, CEO of Estaaron Ventures Limited, shares the inspiring journey of building one of Ghana’s leading construction materials suppliers and real estate developers. Starting in 2010 with just two containers and a small shop, Estaaron Ventures has grown into a major cement distributor in Ghana, with over 17 branches nationwide and plans to reach 20 by year-end.

Aaron explains how his background working at Krane Construction Limited shaped his understanding of the construction industry in Ghana, enabling Estaaron to provide expert guidance on building materials, cement supply, iron rods, and construction project management. The company is recognized as a major CIMAF cement distributor in Ghana and a partner of Fabrimetal iron rods, ensuring quality from sourcing to delivery.

Beyond supplying building materials in Ghana, Estaaron has expanded into real estate development. Their projects include townhouses in Accra, studio apartments in Accra, and future developments in Spintex and Aburi. The company’s estates promote green real estate in Ghana, with features like solar-powered estates, biogas waste treatment plants, and energy-efficient housing.

Estaaron Ventures aims to deliver affordable housing in Ghana, targeting price ranges of GHS 100,000–130,000 while maintaining quality. The estates include high-end amenities such as restaurants, gyms, swimming pools, and 24/7 janitorial services. Aaron emphasizes honesty and transparency in real estate, ensuring that what is marketed matches the final build.

He also discusses the challenges and opportunities in Ghana’s real estate market, including the impact of the cedi’s fluctuations on property pricing and real estate investment. The company is exploring real estate projects in Dubai, aiming to replicate their townhouse concept design and space-conscious architecture in the UAE market.

Estaaron Ventures places strong value on partnerships and customer service in construction supply, offering prompt delivery and building long-term relationships with cement retailers, building contractors in Ghana, and individual customers. Their five-year strategic vision includes expanding to 50 branches, growing their affordable homes portfolio, and deepening partnerships with Republic Bank Ghana and Ghana Home Loans to finance mortgage solutions in Ghana.

“التميّز لا يأتي بالصدفة أبداً” باكورة سيمنارات تطلقها دهانات الجزيرة من الرياض وسط حضور نوعي لنخبة من المهندسين والمختصين وروّاد الأعمال

July 1, 2025

نظّمت “دهانات الجزيرة“، الشركة الرائدة في صناعة الدهانات والألوان والحلول الإنشائية في المملكة والشرق الأوسط وشمال إفريقيا، سيمناراً بعنوان “التميّز لا يأتي بالصدفة أبداً“، وذلك …

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