The King Air Test: Build It and They Will Come – Provided the Neighbours Agree
Cape Town’s King Air rezoning has become a test of whether data-centre developers must disclose their water, electricity, emissions and noise impacts before land-use rights are granted.
In the story of a new data centre, the phrase "build it and they will come" is often quoted. However, in the context of South Africa, the investors are being cautious. South Africa hosts around 70% of the continent's data centre capacity, with major tech companies like Equinix committing significant funds to the region. Yet, despite the investments, there is uncertainty about the demand for new capacity.
Equinix is taking a measured approach, building in phases and holding onto land in Johannesburg and Cape Town as a long-term land bank. The city of Cape Town is currently testing the waters with a rezoning proposal for a 100 MW-plus AI campus, which has sparked concerns from local residents about water and electricity usage. The rezoning decision has been postponed until more information is provided regarding water and grid requirements, emissions, and noise levels.
This case sets a precedent for how municipalities in South Africa will handle future data centre applications, and the outcome will likely influence other cities across the country.
Written by urgent.news from IOL's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
