Teraco expands its data centre footprint in Africa with JB4

Teraco, a subsidiary of Digital Realty and Africa’s largest interconnection hub and vendor-neutral data centre provider, proudly announces the completion of its expanded JB4 Bredell Campus data centre in Ekurhuleni, east of Johannesburg. Here the data centre provides access to a range of network service providers, regional IXPs, content delivery networks, cloud service provider on-ramps, and peering. 

This monumental 30MW expansion renders JB4 the largest stand-alone data centre ever constructed in Africa, boasting 50MW of critical IT power load. The expansions consists of 6 new data halls, each equipped to support 5MW of allocated critical IT power.

The state-of-the-art facility is designed with sustainability at its forefront, thanks to its innovative closed-loop chilled water system which provides free air cooling. Additionally, AI-enabled technology optimises data hall cooling in real time based on IT load and dispersion. This ensures industry-leading Power Usage Effectiveness and significantly minimises energy consumption while using no water in ongoing cooling, an essential achievement given the continent's water scarcity challenges.

This expansion builds further upon Teraco’s South African and sub-Saharan African data centre network, following the recent opening of the JB5 Isando facility. This postures Teraco perfectly to align with the global shift towards cloud and AI-driven services, highlighting South Africa's emerging role as a pivotal technology hub for the continent.

Jan Hnizdo, Teraco CEO, says “Teraco is dedicated to expanding its capacity across key hubs, ensuring our clients have the flexibility to scale and fully leverage digital transformation across the region. We continue to make significant investments in ICT infrastructure and have established Africa’s largest data centre platform. We are proud to offer open-access interconnection and deliver world-class data centre solutions to all our clients.”

Key highlights of the newly-expanded JB4 include:

1. Massive Scale: An 80,000m² structure with a utility power supply of 80MW.
2. Cutting-edge Environmentally Conscious Designs: Incorporates a zero-water cooling loop for enhanced energy efficiency.
3. Unparalleled Capacity: The first of its kind to provide 5MW of critical IT load within a single data hall in Africa.
4. Strategic Location: Bredell Campus, amidst the bustling R21 business corridor, ensuring robust connectivity.
5. Global Standards Compliance: Adheres to international benchmarks such as ISO and PCI-DSS certifications.

With a total of 189MW critical power load, Teraco's thriving data centre platform sprawls across various strategic hubs, including the Isando Campus (70MW), Bredell Campus (64MW), Cape Town (53MW), and Durban (2MW).

The opening of new facilities, like JB4, significantly strengthens the Platform Teraco ecosystem. This robust network infrastructure provides top-notch, resilient platforms for global and local organisations accelerating their digital transformations, offering efficient interconnections and ensuring clients have the agility to scale as digital landscapes and challenges evolve.