Tag: infrastructure

Africa is home to arguably the world's youngest and fastest-growing population. A burgeoning middle class now seeks ways to build wealth and secure financial futures. Despite this enormous potential, millions of Africans still face exclusion from global investment opportunities.

Access to reliable electricity remains a significant challenge across Sub-Saharan Africa, particularly in rural areas. Expanding grid infrastructure is often prohibitively expensive and impractical due to difficult terrain and large distances from urban centres. As a result, millions of people rely on costly and polluting diesel generators or go without electricity altogether. Off-grid solar solutions have emerged as a transformative tool in bridging this energy gap.

At the recent DEVAC Infrastructure Summit, a powerful theme emerged: Africa cannot trade, grow or connect at scale without fixing its transport infrastructure. Outdated rail networks, congested ports and deteriorating roads have left the continent’s logistics backbone under immense strain. However, within that strain lies an opportunity.

Africa is urbanising rapidly. According to Africa’s Urbanisation Dynamics 2025 OECD report, our cities will house 1.4 billion people by 2050 – twice today’s number. But this growth is happening in cities that lack the financial power to shape their own futures. Most African cities struggle to raise revenue, borrow money or spend capital at scale.

In an era of unprecedented environmental and operational challenges, South Africa's office parks stand at a critical juncture. Energy insecurity, water scarcity and ageing municipal infrastructure are no longer distant concerns but immediate challenges that demand innovative solutions.

The loudest noise at Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona in March was reserved not for new products, but for debates around who gets to set the agenda for the future. With Artificial Intelligence (AI) at the heart of the debate, and technologies like 5G-advanced and quantum computing vying for attention, the focus was almost entirely on the roles played by Europe, China and the USA in regulating and rolling out new technology.

Figures released in the latest C-suite Barometer study, paint a positive picture for private equity and alternative investments, with 26% of global executives planning to use these channels to raise funds in the year ahead.

Are we there yet? E-visas could boost SA’s tourism competitiveness, but we are not yet geared for arrivals. Properly rolled-out digital visas will boost inbound travel. They will also dismantle long-standing entry hurdles. For anyone returning to South Africa after time abroad, there’s an unmistakable sense of homecoming – the warmth of a genuine South African welcome, coupled with the relief of the end of a long-haul flight.

60% of business leaders say the country is the most attractive location for offshoring. South Africa (SA) is increasingly becoming a preferred location for international companies seeking to offshore or set up shared service centres. New data highlights that companies are increasingly viewing the country as a strategic option.

The expansion of the current data centre landscape is certainly making history. Its growth is almost reminiscent of time-lapse photography. In this scenario, we - the subjects - stand still while the data centre builds move around us at remarkable speed. Statistics support this observation. Database Trends and Applications cites that the global data centre market is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10.30% from 2024 to 2032.