Tatu City strengthens position as East Africa’s premier data centre hub
Tatu City Special Economic Zone (SEZ) has firmly established itself as East Africa’s leading data centre destination.
At the heart of this growth is Nxtra by Airtel Africa, which will benefit from Tatu City’s provision of more than 95% renewable energy making the location one of the greenest on the planet for data centre investors and clients.
The Nxtra facility will deliver 44MW of IT power capacity in phases, hosting next-generation servers, high-density GPU-ready racks and providing 99.999% uptime with multiple redundant fibre paths and advanced security systems.
Executives from Airtel, Rendeavour and government representatives recently gathered for the official groundbreaking ceremony of the Nxtra by Airtel Africa data centre at Tatu City SEZ.
Tatu City has invested hundreds of millions of dollars to build world-class infrastructure, positioning itself as the region’s data centre hub. Key features include a 135MVA power substation with 99.7% uptime, 24/7 industrial water supply (the only such facility in Kenya), robust stormwater management systems, 70km of international-standard roads and 120km of secure underground fibre connectivity.
Stephen Jennings, Founder & CEO of Rendeavour, the owner and developer of Tatu City highlighted the city’s long-term vision:
“For more than a decade, we have invested in world-class infrastructure and sustainable energy at Tatu City to make it the natural home for data centres in East Africa. Airtel’s decision to locate Nxtra here is a powerful endorsement of this vision. As Nxtra joins over 100 global and local companies already thriving at Tatu City, we are confident many more data centres will follow. Together, we are building the secure, scalable and sustainable digital backbone that Africa needs for its economic transformation.”
Yashnath Issur, CEO of Data Centre at Airtel Africa, added:
“By building the largest data centre in East Africa, we are laying the groundwork for a thriving digital ecosystem that empowers businesses, supports governments and unlocks new opportunities for communities across the region. Nxtra by Airtel will meet the highest global standards, with a focus on reliability, scalability and energy efficiency. Beyond capacity, our priority is sustainability and resilience, enabling customers to fully leverage next-generation technologies in a secure environment.”
Tatu City’s commitment to sustainability is unmatched with one-third of its energy demand met directly by solar power and the rest supplied by Kenya’s predominantly renewable national grid. This combination provides one of the cleanest, most reliable energy supplies for digital infrastructure anywhere in the world.
Today, more than 25,000 people live, work, and study at Tatu City. The city hosts 4,500 completed homes, 6,000 students, and businesses representing over KES 400 billion in investment. Some of the major companies operating within the city include Emirates Logistics, Heineken, Cold Solutions, FullCare Medical, Hounen, CCI Global, Dormans, Kärcher, Naivas, NCBA, Grit Real Estate Income Group, Hewatele, Freight Forwarders Solutions, Tamarind Group, ADvTECH, Friendship Group, Bakels, Novis and Davis & Shirtliff.
Businesses within the SEZ enjoy significant incentives ,a 10% corporate tax rate for the first 10 years, 15% for the following 10 years, compared to the standard 30%, as well as VAT zero-rating on goods and services, and exemptions on import duty and stamp duty.
Tatu City is a 5,000-acre new city located just 30 minutes from Nairobi. It is Kenya’s first operational Special Economic Zone, designed to eliminate traffic congestion and long commutes by offering a live, work and play environment. The city features homes for all income levels, schools educating thousands of students daily, a shopping district, a medical clinic, nature areas,l and recreation facilities for more than 250,000 residents and visitors.
Author: Moureen Koech
Moureen Koech is a passionate Digital Journalist, an adept Agribusiness Writer with a keen eye for news and an impactful story-teller,whose stories provide key value to Agripreneurs and stakeholders in the Agricultural sector
