Teraco Data Environments built the largest data center in Africa, located in Isando, Gauteng (east of Johannesburg), South Africa utilizing PENETRON’s crystalline concrete waterproofing technology to protect its foundation and critical server spaces. To achieve strict international operating and reliability standards, contractors integrated PENETRON ADMIX into the concrete during batching for all retaining walls and exposed structures, while applying PENEBAR SW-55 waterstops to seal construction joints. Spanning a 27,500 m² (296,000 sq ft) footprint, this facility relies on these crystalline waterproofing barriers to prevent moisture ingress in subterranean slabs and retaining walls, directly protecting rows of high-capacity server racks housing vital enterprise data.
Africa’s AI Data Center Boom
This data center in Isando contributes to Africa’s AI data center boom which is being propelled by a series of strategically located hyperscale and high-density infrastructure developments that leverage each region’s distinct economic and natural advantages. The recent proposal by Huawei to construct a dedicated AI data center cluster for Egypt, featuring over 2,000 of its advanced Ascend AI training and inference processors, underscores North Africa’s emergence as a pivotal hub for cloud-based artificial intelligence. Egypt capitalizes directly on its position as a major landing zone for international submarine fiber optic cables, providing low-latency routes that connect African data processing to Europe and the Middle East. Further west, Morocco plays a crucial structural role by enforcing strict data sovereignty laws and prioritizing built-tier standards, leading the continent with 17 Uptime-certified constructed Tier III facilities to house heavily regulated financial and public-sector workloads locally.
Sub-Saharan tech powerhouses like Kenya and Nigeria are simultaneously driving the expansion by addressing the massive power and operational demands required for AI processing. In Kenya, high-density AI infrastructure, such as the massive Microsoft and G42 green data center deployment in Naivasha, anchors its growth on firm, dispatchable geothermal energy. This unique renewable energy grid allows the country to deliver clean power directly to resource-intensive server racks without relying on fossil fuel fallbacks. Conversely, Nigeria addresses power reliability challenges by pioneering large-scale, off-grid natural gas solutions, exemplified by Tetracore Energy Group’s $400 million data center project in Ogun State that pairs server facilities with dedicated gas power plants. Together with foundation-focused engineering feats like South Africa’s Teraco expansions, these regionally tailored projects collectively build out the robust processing capacity, power grid integration, and low-latency infrastructure required to host high-compute AI workloads locally across the continent.
May 5, 2022
The largest data center in Africa, Teraco’s center in Isando, South Africa, is built on PENETRON crystalline technology. Set to officially open before Christmas, the facility is now undergoing final testing and certification.
Teraco Data Environments, the leading data center provider in Africa, builds and maintains secure data centers for client information systems and networking equipment. Teraco currently owns and manages data centers in Cape Town, Durban and Johannesburg – all in South Africa.
The company’s newest and largest data center is located in Isando, a town in Gauteng province, 20 km (12 miles) east of Johannesburg, South Africa. Housed in a 27,500 m2 (296,000 square feet) building, it fully complies with modern international standards.
“The overall design and construction focused on achieving international data center operating standards and reliability,” says Clive Leader, Managing Director of PENETRON South Africa. “The use of PENETRON crystalline products to treat the concrete structures is an important part of enhancing the durability of the new data center.”
PENETRON ADMIX was mixed into the concrete used for all retaining walls and exposed concrete. PENEBAR SW-55 waterstop was applied to seal the resulting construction joints in the new walls – and ensure a durable and completely waterproof structure.
“We’re proud to be part of this amazing project,” adds Mr. Leader. “It’s an absolutely world-class construction and a state-of-the-art data center for Africa.”
The PENETRON Group is a leading manufacturer of specialty construction products for concrete waterproofing, concrete repairs and floor preparation systems. The Group operates through a global network, offering support to the design and construction community through its regional offices, representatives and distribution channels.
For more information on PENETRON waterproofing solutions, please visit penetron(dot)com or Facebook(dot)com/ThePenetronGroup, email CRDept(at)penetron(dot)com, or contact the Corporate Relations Department at 631-941-9700.
Project Factsheet: Teraco Isando Campus (JB3 Expansion)
Project Name: Teraco JB3 Data Center Facility (Isando Campus Expansion)
Developer / Owner: Teraco Data Environments (A Digital Realty Company)
Location: 14 Kiln Street, Isando, Kempton Park, Gauteng, South Africa (5 km from O.R. Tambo International Airport)
Civil / Concrete Technology Partner: PENETRON (PENETRON ADMIX & PENEBAR SW-55 waterstops)
Facility Dimensions and Capacity
- Total Building Footprint: 45,000 m² (Combined Isando Campus)
- White Space / Technical Deployment: 12,000 m² across 22 data halls (Isando total)
- Total Utility Power Load: 40 MVA / 29 MW critical IT load
- Facility Classification: Tier III Equivalent / Concurrent Maintainability
Structural and Engineering Specifications
- Concrete Protection: Integrated PENETRON ADMIX crystalline waterproofing added directly during batching for subterranean slabs, retaining walls, and exposed concrete.
- Joint Sealing: PENEBAR SW-55 swelling waterstop strips applied along all poured concrete construction joints to prevent moisture ingress.
- Cooling Infrastructure: Closed-loop chilled water cooling system arranged in an N+1 redundant configuration.
- Power Redundancy: N+1 UPS redundancy paired with dual-utility feeds and dedicated backup diesel generators.
Network and Ecosystem Integration
- Interconnection Hub: Direct connection to NAPAfrica (Africa’s largest Internet Exchange Point).
- Connectivity: Carrier-neutral facility hosting 200+ network service providers and direct cloud on-ramps (AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, Oracle).
Certifications and ompliance
- Standards: ISO 27001, ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 50001, SOC 1 Type II, and PCI DSS.
Project Team
Client and Developer: Teraco Data Environments (Digital Realty)
Concrete and Waterproofing Partner: PENETRON Group (PENETRON South Africa)
Parent / Investment Partners: Digital Realty, Berkshire Partners, Permira
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