Morocco ranks fifth in Africa for active data centers

Thursday 04 September 2025 - 14:00

By: Sahili Aya

Morocco ranks fifth in Africa for active data centers

Rabat, Morocco – Morocco has climbed to fifth place in Africa for the number of active data centers, according to a report by Heirs Technologies. With eight operational data centers, the country shows a growing digital capacity driven by targeted investments and expanding connectivity.

The 48-page report, titled Africa’s Digital Leap: Cloud, Connectivity & AI in the Next Decade, reveals that the continent has 211 operational data centers in 2025, mainly located in South Africa (49), Nigeria (16), Kenya (18), and Egypt (14). Morocco, with eight centers, ranks ahead of Ghana (7), Ivory Coast (5), and Tunisia (4). Most centers are based in Casablanca, managed by regional integrators and telecom operators to serve economic hubs.

Morocco is also part of the 2Africa submarine cable project, led by Meta, which aims to triple the continent’s international internet capacity. This initiative will improve connectivity with Europe, West Africa, and the Middle East while strengthening local data hosting and processing capabilities.

In addition, global players like Oracle, Huawei, and IBM are expanding their presence in Morocco, including Oracle’s announcement of two new cloud regions during Gitex Africa Morocco in May 2024. This trend may accelerate the adoption of hybrid and native cloud architectures in the country.

Beyond infrastructure, the report highlights Morocco’s efforts in digital regulation and data sovereignty, noting ongoing legislation for personal data protection, cybersecurity, and interoperability of public systems. However, challenges remain in institutional coordination and the availability of skilled professionals in cloud and AI.

The report concludes that while Morocco ranks among Africa’s top five countries for data centers, it must consolidate its gains, expand infrastructure coverage, and develop a local cloud ecosystem to fully leverage these investments for economic growth and regional leadership.