Why AI success in Africa hinges on power infrastructure — Gary Chomse

AI's rapid adoption across Africa necessitates a parallel evolution in supporting infrastructure. Gary Chomse, Regional Director for Central and Southern Africa, emphasizes that power, cooling, and compute must be integrated as a single ecosystem, rather than treated as isolated components. He explains that AI applications demand higher power densities and can experience sudden fluctuations in energy requirements.

Consequently, data centre operators must manage three critical pressures: delivering reliable and efficient power, advanced cooling, and effective energy management.

In Africa, power reliability remains a significant obstacle. Chomse advises organizations to plan for AI adoption strategically, focusing on building resilient, energy-efficient architectures that can accommodate current power realities while enabling future growth. This entails investing in advanced power management systems, enhancing energy efficiency, adopting cutting-edge cooling technologies, and ensuring adequate backup and redundancy capabilities.

Furthermore, he underscores the importance of viewing power, cooling, and IT systems holistically, recognizing their interconnected nature.

AI is poised to revolutionize data centre design across Africa. Chomse foresees higher rack densities, more sophisticated cooling systems, and elevated power capacities in future facilities. Liquid cooling will gain prominence as businesses deploy high-performance AI workloads, while modular, scalable infrastructure approaches will facilitate rapid responses to evolving business needs.

Additionally, sovereign digital infrastructure and AI capabilities are expected to gain traction as governments and enterprises prioritize data control. Regulatory measures, such as the Central Bank of Nigeria's mandate for local data storage by 2027, will likely spur investment in domestic data centres and edge infrastructure, strengthening foundations for AI adoption throughout the continent.

For Nigerian organizations aspiring to prepare for future AI demands, Chomse recommends commencing infrastructure planning with AI in mind, even if large-scale deployments are still emerging. Businesses should evaluate whether their current facilities can support higher power densities, examine their energy efficiency strategies, and pinpoint areas requiring modernization.

They must also consider the impact of evolving regulatory requirements, such as increased emphasis on local data hosting and data sovereignty, on future infrastructure planning and capacity demands. Ultimately, organizations that prioritize power, cooling, and compute as a cohesive system designed for long-term growth and innovation will be better positioned to capitalize on AI opportunities that lie ahead.