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Host nation Morocco and South Africa advanced to the Africa Cup of Nations’ knockout stage on Monday, when Egypt star Mohamed Salah got a rest with his team already through. Morocco made sure of its place in the last 16 with a 3-0 rout of Zambia. The hosts topped Group A to stay on course …
New-energy vehicles (NEVs) are one of the fastest-growing segments in South Africa’s automotive industry, and it’s being taken over by Chinese brands. NEVs – a term that refers to both hybrid and battery-electric vehicles – have taken off over the last few years, thanks to an influx of new, relatively affordable models that have helped …
SPONSORED – After three days of navigating some of South Africa’s toughest terrain, Most Dirt Wins reaches its final chapter in Episode 4, as both teams make their last push toward Coffee Bay and the iconic Hole in the Wall. With just one day remaining, the challenge is still wide open. Team Two trails by 52 …
The process began with 2,069 Daily Maverick reader submissions for the best small town to live in. From there, nine writers – one per province – researched and whittled down the list of small towns from the top five per province to the one that scored the highest. The judging criteria assessed functional elements but …
Remains believed to be those of a missing South African National Defence Force (SANDF) member have been found near the South Africa–Mozambique border in Komatipoort, Mpumalanga. Mpumalanga police spokesperson Brig Donald Mdhluli said the remains were discovered on Tuesday along the Komati River after a fisherman alerted authorities to what appeared to be a body …
Capitec is the only major traditional bank in South Africa still expanding its ATM and branch network in the country. First National Bank (FNB) has expanded its branch footprint but has shut down 851 ATMs, or approximately 15% of its network, over the past five years. Meanwhile, Absa, Nedbank, and Standard Bank have all reduced …
The Republic of South Africa is to remain one, sovereign, democratic state, and that is the way it will remain was the stance that President Cyril Ramaphosa has adopted. And he is not prepared to entertain the idea of holding a referendum to gauge whether any part of the country must be subjected to secession, …
·30 Dec 2025 The operator of South Africa’s last remaining manganese smelter said it may have to cut as many as 600 jobs as high power prices undermine the viability of its business. Transalloys (Pty) Ltd. issued retrenchment notices to staff and is running only two of its five furnaces, the company, based in the …
The most expensive VW in South Africa will set you back R1.8 million. Enter the VW Touareg R-Line, the range-topping version of the German carmaker’s flagship SUV series. The Touareg last received an update in 2024 and is currently available in two specifications. Prices start at R1,491,300 for the Elegance variant, but you’ll have to …
The South African Federation of Trade Unions (SAFTU) extends revolutionary end-of-year greetings to all affiliates, leaders, shop stewards, members and the broader working class. As 2025 draws to a close, South Africa remains trapped in a deep structural crisis marked by mass unemployment, deindustrialisation, collapsing public services, rising criminality, gender-based violence, and an austerity framework …
Malcolm Libera ·30 Dec 2025 South Africans are set for a disappointing public holiday calendar in 2026, with workers effectively losing two days off despite the country officially having 12 public holidays. While this might seem disappointing at first glance, the silver lining is a notable increase in long weekends, which will provide opportunities for …
South Africa will not know the identity of their next Africa Cup of Nations opponents until the last of the group matches on Wednesday but will play one of holders Ivory Coast, Cameroon or neighbours Mozambique. As runners-up in Group B, which Bafana Bafana achieved after their narrow 3-2 win over Zimbabwe in Marrakech on …
In South Africa, discarded pineapple leaves can now be turned into a low-cost, eco-friendly solution for both cleaning polluted water and forensics.
Confusion over whether area is illegally occupied
Opposition MP says there are more cases and calls for independent inquiry
South Africa’s rand is poised to end the year with the biggest jump since 2009 as the dollar’s weakness, combined with political stability at home, bolstered the nation’s allure for investors. The currency has jumped 13% against the dollar this year. Overseas investors bought a net 72.4 billion rand ($4.3 billion) of local-currency bonds this …
By NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman, African Energy Chamber (https://EnergyChamber.org/).
A quarter of the way into the 21st century, digital technology has infiltrated the daily lives of billions of people to an incredible degree across the globe — but not everywhere… yet. As digital penetration rapidly nears 100% in many parts of the world, the fastest-growing markets are in developing countries where even simple electricity is hardly an assured thing. Perhaps the greatest potential is in the African market, where penetration remains shallow and demand is skyrocketing. Simply put, there's nowhere to go but up.
Although electrification has been stubbornly slow to spread across the continent thus far, internet usage is expanding at extraordinary rates. The Global System Operators and Manufacturers Association's (GSMA) Mobile Economy Report 2023 estimated that smartphone adoption in sub-Saharan Africa would rise from 51% in 2022 to 87% in 2030, driven by rising youth populations and more competitive mobile pricing. The same report predicted a near-quadrupling of data usage per mobile by 2028, from 4.6 GB per user per month to 18 GB. Every one of those phones that loads a search engine, a shopping site, or a business app these days is adding to that computing load, and that's just the mobile sector. Advances in financial technology are creating new opportunities for African businesses to thrive, and artificial intelligence is fast invading every facet of the internet. Generative AI and machine learning applications consume up to 10 times more energy than traditional searches, making all that growth orders of magnitude more expensive.
So far, data centers in Europe have mostly been able to handle Africa's needs. As African businesses and consumers increasingly demand faster speeds and lower latency, however, the need is quickly growing for more localized computing infrastructure. As of mid-2025, Africa has 223 data centers spread across 38 countries — less than 0.02% of the world's total of more than 11,800. South Africa has the most with 56, followed by Kenya with 19 and Nigeria with 17, meaning 41% of Africa's data center infrastructure is currently concentrated in these three countries.
In “The State of African Energy: 2026 Outlook Report,” the African Energy Chamber (AEC) posits that development of cloud infrastructure in these key markets could serve as nuclei to accelerate growth across the continent. Growing concerns over data sovereignty are also spurring some nations to require that certain sensitive data stays in-country, further driving demand for local data centers. The African data center market was valued at USD3.49 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach USD6.81 billion by 2030, rising at a Compounded Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 11.79%.
As a rule, data centers require a substantial and reliable supply of electricity — something Africa is not currently known for, with many countries facing frequent outages. Nigeria is a prime example. The country's 17 data centers — the third most in Africa — collectively require around 137 MW of power capacity in 2025. Nigeria's power grid is notorious for providing only around four hours of power per day, forcing data center operators to make up the difference with diesel generators that raise costs and pollution levels. Even around the capital city of Lagos, where internet connectivity is highest and 14 of the data centers are concentrated, the grid is a constant source of uncertainty.
Overall, the AEC report states, Africa's data center power demand capacity is forecast to achieve a CAGR of 9% between 2024 and 2030 and hit 2 GW by 2030. The total data center capacity globally, by comparison, is forecast to log a CAGR of 11% between 2024 and 2030, reaching 249 GW by year-end 2030. Adding in the power needed for cooling and other ancillary loads, the global total installed capacity is estimated at 374 GW by 2030.
The relentless demand of data centers, however, functions as a great stabilizer for attracting socially responsible capital investment in the power infrastructure. Predictably growing demand assures investors that money spent on expanding grids and developing new power generation centers will both improve lives and pay off economically. The growth of data centers also often brings with it a push for innovative power solutions, including the integration of renewable energy sources and advanced grid management technologies. Upgraded grids improve sustainability, bolster resilience, and expand the residential and commercial customer base, spreading out fixed costs and thereby reducing end users' electricity prices over time.
In northern Africa, growing hubs such as Egypt and Morocco benefit from strategic positioning that connects Europe, Africa, and the Middle East to major internet backbone lines. Egypt offers affordable land and electricity prices, while Morocco is rapidly modernizing its infrastructure and fostering a favorable legal environment for data center growth.
Sub-Saharan Africa faces more challenges, but even here, many nations are stepping up efforts to meet the insatiable demand. In South Africa, the largest market, there is particularly strong demand for facilities around Johannesburg and Cape Town. Johannesburg benefits from a diversified mix of wholesale and retail demand and both international and local providers. South Africa is leading the continent in solar integration, with public-private projects like the 12 MW solar farm being developed by Africa Data Centres and Distributed Power Africa.
Kenya's grid is already over 60% renewable, including geothermal, solar, wind, and hydroelectric sources. The Naivasha geothermal zone, which supplies nearly half of the country's power, will host a planned 100 MW green data center, backed by a USD1 billion investment by Microsoft and G42. Such clean, non-intermittent power solutions give Kenya the ability to support data centers with both lower emissions and greater stability. The Kenyan government also offers tax incentives for investments in special economic zones, including a 10% corporate tax exemption for the first 10 years, and over 15% after 10 years.
Smaller countries are getting in on the game as well. Côte d'Ivoire (currently home to six data centers) launched its largest solar power plant in Boundiali in June 2023, delivering 37.5 MWp of capacity toward its national goal of sourcing 45% of its electricity from renewable energy by 2030. West Africa's largest wind project is the Taiba N'Diaye Wind Farm in Senegal (seven data centers), while Gabon (one data center) is actively developing hydropower and attracting investment in solar hybrid systems.
Not every country will be able to confront the growing digital demand equally. Data centers are notoriously water-hungry due to the need to cool off huge banks of closely packed computers. Nations with vast areas of desert and savannah can ill afford to have data centers compete for water with agriculture and may have to rely on their neighbors through the use of regional power pools as suggested in the AEC report. Others with fewer renewable energy prospects will likely focus on developing more conventional energy sources such as oil and gas, which many have in great abundance. Even those with strong renewable sectors would be wise to develop conventional energy to achieve the reliability that other parts of the world take for granted. The AEC has long advocated the flexibility of natural gas to serve as a bridge fuel, alleviating shortages with quick ramp-up and ramp-down when renewable supplies fluctuate.
Electrification in Africa is a multi-pronged issue with many obstacles on the path to modernization, but there is no doubt that there is a demand to be met. Building and provisioning local data centers is a powerful step toward solving some of government's most pressing problems in any nation: improving infrastructure, growing the economy, and strengthening national security.
"The State of African Energy: 2026 Outlook Report" is available for download. Visit https://apo-opa.co/48Y4qkH to request your copy.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Energy Chamber.
When South Africa and Zimbabwe clash in a decisive Group B Africa Cup of Nations encounter on Monday at the Marrakesh Stadium, many factors will be at play. Regional rivalry in COSAFA, national pride, and, of course, the high stakes that this particular match carries give the meeting in Marrakesh some added football flavour. Just …
GroundUp’s favourite photos of 2025 show South Africa as it really is… battered in places, brilliant in others and always worth fighting for. South Africa (29 December 2025) – South Africa’s story is not a single narrative; it is thousands of moments happening at once. GroundUp’s favourite photos from 2025 reveal those moments with honesty …
Africa's integrated energy companies face a dual mandate: expanding energy access while reducing carbon emissions. This challenge will be the focus of the panel, “The Dual Mandate: Navigating Growth and Decarbonization in an Integrated Energy Sector,” at the Invest in African Energy (IAE) Forum in Paris on April 22–23, 2026. The discussion will bring together energy executives, investors and policymakers to align strategy with the continent's rapidly rising power demand and industrial ambitions.
The first priority for many integrated energy firms is scaling low‑carbon power. Across Africa, utility-scale solar, wind and hybrid systems are advancing in 2025 as public and private capital flows in. South Africa's Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Program continues to attract private investment into large-scale solar and wind projects, while Morocco's Noor Ouarzazate Solar Complex demonstrates how concentrated solar power can supply baseload electricity. Panelists will examine how integrated companies can replicate these models in markets with limited grid infrastructure.
Despite the low-carbon push, oil and gas remain central to Africa's energy mix and industrial growth. Integrated companies are adopting practices to reduce emissions while sustaining production. Nigeria's Gas Flare Commercialization Program, which issued permits in December 2025 to capture 250–300 million cubic feet of flared gas per day, is projected to attract $2 billion in investment, generate nearly 3 GW of electricity and cut about 6 million tons of CO₂ annually. Methane leak monitoring, enhanced oil recovery with CO₂ capture and flaring reduction are also being implemented across Nigeria, Angola and Ghana, extending field life while improving environmental performance. These measures show that responsible hydrocarbon development can support a transition strategy while maintaining investor appeal.
The panel will also explore hydrogen, carbon capture and storage (CCS), and bioenergy as tools to strengthen integrated energy portfolios. Green hydrogen projects in Morocco aim to supply clean fuels while anchoring industrial ecosystems, from green steel to sustainable aviation fuels, and positioning the region as a renewable export hub. In southern Africa, Namibia's HyIron Oshivela green hydrogen facility reached a milestone in 2025 by producing its first zero‑emission hydrogen using solar power and battery storage, and is now set to support low‑carbon iron production. These examples illustrate how hydrogen can drive industrial decarbonization beyond electricity generation.
The IAE 2026 Forum will allow financiers, energy executives and policymakers to assess investment-ready opportunities arising from these strategies. Hybrid systems that combine gas and renewables offer models for projects that deliver both financial returns and ESG outcomes. Speakers will also discuss how integrated companies can leverage Africa's abundant renewable resources, significant hydrocarbon reserves and growing power demand to promote economic development alongside emissions reductions. Decisions made today on technology deployment, asset management and investment prioritization will shape the sector for decades.
In short, the panel will demonstrate that Africa's energy transition is not a choice between growth and decarbonization. Integrated companies that scale low‑carbon electricity, manage hydrocarbons responsibly and deploy advanced technologies will create compelling investment opportunities, reduce energy costs and support industrial and manufacturing development across the continent. For investors attending the forum, the discussion offers a roadmap to commercially viable projects aligned with global climate goals.
IAE 2026 (https://apo-opa.co/45wnhRF) is an exclusive forum designed to connect African energy markets with global investors, serving as a key platform for deal-making in the lead-up to African Energy Week. Scheduled for April 22–23, 2026, in Paris, the event will provide delegates with two days of in-depth engagement with industry experts, project developers, investors and policymakers. For more information, visit www.Invest-Africa-Energy.com. To sponsor or register as a delegate, please contact sales@energycapitalpower.com
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Energy Capital & Power.
Mercedes-Benz is one of the world’s leading luxury car brands with a catalogue of affluent SUVs and high-performance sedans that remain an aspirational purchase for many households. It may therefore come as a surprise to some that Mercedes once tried its hand with bakkies – a vehicle type that is not traditionally associated with high-end …
Persisting tensions between Pretoria and Washington saw South Africa miss out on the first G20 meeting in the United States (US), in what was expected to be the first of many snubs from the bloc’s meetings. In an expected move, South African leaders and diplomats were excluded from the first major G20 meeting under the …
South Africa has noted with concern the recent announcement by the State of Israel recognising Somaliland as an independent state. The recognition constitutes a violation of the Federal Republic of Somalia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and a direct threat to peace in the Horn of Africa. We uphold the African Union’s principle of uti possidetis …
The shocking revelation that Department of Education officials are implicated in leaking matric exam papers – and could even have initiated it – erodes confidence in the public education system. Interest in independent education is expected to increase next year and, in the years, to come. There are three examination authorities in South Africa: the […]
The post Cheating in matric exams: Independent schools could benefit from erosion of confidence in public education appeared first on Freedom Front Plus.