OADC Deal Expands South Africa Footprint As Data-Centre

Monday 5th January 2026

By inAfrika Newsroom

The OADC NTT data centres acquisition is reshaping South Africa’s digital infrastructure market after competition authorities cleared Open Access Data Centres (OADC) to buy a portfolio of facilities from NTT Data South Africa, subject to public-interest conditions. The transaction covers seven sites across major metros and regional nodes.

Reports on the approval say the assets include facilities in cities such as Cape Town and Johannesburg, alongside additional locations that broaden national coverage. Therefore, the deal strengthens OADC’s ability to serve cloud, telecom and enterprise clients that need low-latency capacity beyond a single hub.

The timing also tracks a wider global surge in data-centre mergers as AI workloads drive demand for power, space and connectivity. Meanwhile, a Reuters report on industry activity said data-centre dealmaking hit record levels, reflecting a rush to secure infrastructure for compute-heavy services.

For South Africa, the acquisition adds momentum to a market already under pressure from rising electricity costs and tight grid capacity. However, operators argue that distributed footprints can improve resilience and help manage load by spreading demand. In addition, the deal underscores how “digital real estate” is becoming strategic for both investors and governments.

Still, competition oversight remains important because data centres sit at the centre of telecom and cloud ecosystems. Consequently, the public-interest conditions attached to the transaction will be watched by clients and rivals alike, especially on service continuity and local impact.

Next steps — OADC NTT data centres acquisition

Final completion steps will follow the regulator’s conditions. Meanwhile, enterprise clients will look for clarity on integration, service levels and expansion plans across the acquired sites.

Why it matters

Data centres are the backbone of AI, fintech and digital government. So, consolidation that expands capacity can support growth, but it also raises questions about pricing power, grid stress and resilience.