The African Energy Week (AEW) conference and exhibition – taking place 12-16 October in Cape Town – will host the first AI and Data Center track, positioning the continent at the intersection of digital infrastructure expansion and energy system transformation. Led by the African Energy Chamber (AEC)www.EnergyChamber.org), the track is designed as a platform to align policymakers, investors and technology players around an integrated strategy to scale up power generation through data-driven demand. As Africa moves towards strengthening energy security, the upcoming track will demonstrate how AI-driven investments can support the continent as it strives to make energy poverty history.
The introduction of the AI and data center track reflects a structural shift that is already underway in global energy markets. Data centers, driven by artificial intelligence, cloud computing and digital services, are rapidly becoming one of the largest sources of increasing electricity demand. Globally, the demand for uninterruptible power supply for IT equipment alone is projected to reach 249 GW by 2030, with the total installed capacity expected to reach 374 GW.
While the penetration of data centers in Africa has been comparatively slow, investment in these areas is gradually increasing. South Africa is leading the continent's data center expansion, with cloud zones from Microsoft and AWS already live and Google expected to follow suit. Kenya has approximately 40 MW IT load capacity and is projected to grow at 30% CAGR by 2028. Despite this progress, more investment is needed to maintain the pace of Africa's digital development. Notably, per mobile data usage is expected to quadruple by 2028, while generative AI and machine learning are influencing demand.
While Europe has met most of Africa's digital demand, rising latency requirements and increasing data sovereignty regulations are driving a shift to domestic data centers – making the investment case even stronger. This comes as African energy demand continues to grow and is projected to more than double by 2040. In this context, Africa represents both a leading market and a strategic opportunity – and a region where energy demand growth can be shaped, not retrofitted, around emerging digital infrastructure.
“Africa has a unique opportunity to leapfrog legacy systems by linking its energy growth with the digital economy. Data centers and AI are not just consumers of electricity – they are catalysts for investment, innovation and access. If we build it right, we are not just powering servers; we are powering economies and closing the energy access gap at scale. We will start a data center and AI revolution in Cape Town,” AEC. says NJ Aiyuk, executive chairman.
The AEW 2026 AI and Data Center track establishes Africa's digital development as a foundation for the continent's energy expansion. The opportunities are two-sided. First, these centers require large amounts of reliable, uninterrupted power, therefore creating predictable and bankable demand for energy investors. Secondly, they strengthen the case for new generation capacity and grid expansion, strengthening national energy systems, and introducing affordable sources of electricity into local markets.
This is where AEC's platform is attempting to present the story afresh. Instead of treating data centers as isolated infrastructure projects, the new track positions them as anchor demand capable of unlocking large-scale power generation. Reflecting the innovative mindset of the AEC, the forum will also tackle regulatory and fiscal frameworks, with the Chamber working with governments to implement the right kind of policies that will promote data centre, AI and energy expansion. Ensuring compliance and alignment with industry dynamics, the Chamber has already engaged world-class companies to develop the platform.
By including the AI and data center agenda within AEW 2026, the AEC is effectively integrating digital infrastructure into the mainstream energy discourse. As global energy demand continues to be shaped by digital infrastructure, Africa is positioning itself to meet that demand – and, in doing so, reshaping its own energy trajectory.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of the African Energy Chamber.