IXAfrica CEO Snehar Shah Unveils NBOX1: Kenya’s AI-Ready, Hyperscaler-Grade Data Centre Hub
In this section of the interview, Mr. Snehar Shah, CEO of IXAfrica, provides an in-depth look at the company’s strategic growth and its flagship facility, NBOX1, the largest AI-ready, carrier-neutral data centre in East and Central Africa. Located near Nairobi’s international airport and positioned along critical fiber optic routes linking Mombasa to Uganda, NBOX1 is designed to support high-demand connectivity, data sovereignty, and enterprise-grade digital infrastructure. Since going live in the past year, the facility has successfully onboarded numerous clients, including more than 20 network providers, and now hosts both the Kenya Internet Exchange (KIXP) and the London Internet Exchange (LINX)—two major regional and global IXPs.
Mr. Shah explains that the success of NBOX1 has laid the groundwork for the next phase of expansion, NBOX1.2, and a second facility, NBOX2, in Limuru, with a projected 53-megawatt capacity on 11 acres of land. These developments reinforce IXAfrica’s ambition to be the backbone of Kenya’s digital economy and a regional hub for hyperscalers, AI companies, banks, and financial institutions.
The discussion also covers IXAfrica’s commitment to remaining carrier-neutral, enabling open interconnection and attracting a diverse ecosystem of connectivity, cloud, and enterprise clients. In this context, Mr. Shah highlights the company’s strategic partnership with Safaricom, Kenya’s largest telecom provider, which enhances market reach by combining Safaricom’s corporate relationships with IXAfrica’s purpose-built infrastructure.
As Kenya emerges as a Tier 1 market for digital infrastructure—alongside countries like South Africa, Nigeria, Egypt, and Morocco—IXAfrica is positioning itself to capture cross-border opportunities within the East African Community. The facility’s high power density capabilities, expansion roadmap, and alignment with global data centre standards make it the go-to destination for AI and cloud infrastructure deployment in the region.