The Rise of the African Cloud

Our much-anticipated research on the commercial opportunity for cloud services in Africa. Building on 12 months of research, dozens of customer and service provider discussions and underpinned by proprietary enterprise cloud adoption surveys, this report provides arguably the most comprehensive analysis publicly available on the surging potential of African cloud markets.

Research package including a PDF report, key chart data in Excel format, and an enterprise licence. Optional package including an annual subscription to Xalam's Africa enterprise and cloud market dashboard services, including a wide range of cloud infrastructure, demand, and market forecast trackers.

African companies are answering the irresistible call of the cloud. From the ability to scale operations, boost innovation and bolster business continuity in the face of inadequate power infrastructure, migrating to the cloud has become a central component of Africa’s digital transformation.

The African cloud is now a compelling multi-billion-dollar commercial opportunity, growing at a 25%-30% rate annually. It is also a dynamic and highly complex marketplace, where hyperscalers compete and partner with a broad range of telcos, data center providers and cloud specialists.

This analysis is about the near-term economic, commercial and investor upside presented by the rapid adoption of cloud services. It is the outcome of 12 months of extensive research and data analysis, dozens of interviews and conversations with enterprises and service providers and four separate enterprise cloud adoption surveys.

This report does not pretend to have all the answers on the rise of the African cloud. But consistent with the Xalam research ethos, it does pretend to offer most of those answers - and indeed, the most comprehensive picture available on the African public and private cloud services opportunity.

Please download sample at the right for full Table of Contents and additional detail.

See Table of Contents

Key Sections – Please download sample for more detailed view.

Executive Summary

Part I Cloud adoption in Africa: beyond basic awareness to hybrid multi-clouds Our analysis of where and how African enterprises migrate to the cloud

Part II Public clouds and private clouds Our analysis of public and private infrastructure, key issues, key players and overall competitive context

Part III How big is the African cloud? Where we break down the numbers on the African cloud services market

Part IV Africa’s Cloud Big Five Markets Country analysis: South Africa Country analysis: Egypt Country analysis: Nigeria Country analysis: Kenya Country analysis: Morocco

Part VI Country analysis: Africa’s other top cloud markets Angola Cote-d’Ivoire Ghana Senegal Tanzania

See Key Report Charts

Sample charts only – Please download sample for more detailed view.

Comparative average annual growth – Africa – CAGR 2019-22E Africa cloud services revenue projection – 2022-27F - US$ bn Africa share of sample global indicators - 2022E Africa cloud services revenue by countries – 2022E % of enterprises that deploy in the cloud: collaboration and productivity applications % of enterprises that deploy in the cloud: Databases and analytics applications % of enterprises that deploy infrastructure in the cloud: storage Africa view: % of enterprises deploying to the cloud – view by delivery model Africa view: % of cloud enterprise users using more than one public cloud platform Growth of South African bank spending on IT vs. other OpEx – 2016-22E Sample African bank cloud contracts Sample African banks IT budgets – 2022E The evolution of hyperscale cloud infrastructure in Africa Hyperscale cloud provider presence in Africa – Q1 2023 Public cloud infrastructure in Africa – View by key market Public cloud platforms used as a primary or secondary provider Evolution of hyperscaler hybrid cloud locations in Africa Hyperscaler hybrid cloud locations in Africa – a Mapping