By: Wojtek Piorko - managing director, Africa at Vertiv

As Africa accelerates its critical digital infrastructure investments, Angola’s strategic geographic position, rapidly expanding mobile ecosystem and emerging technology ambitions allow it to capitalise on this regional momentum. 

According to global data and business intelligence organisation, Statistica, revenue from Angola’s IT services market is projected to reach US$930.48m, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR 2025-2030) of 3.20%. This would result in a market volume of US$1.09bn by 2030.

Bolstered by the LBTIC 2023–2027 strategic initiative, which plays a critical role in its National Development Plan, the country is crafting a roadmap toward an artificial intelligence-ready, resilient digital ecosystem. The plan prioritises emerging technologies such as AI, the internet of things (IoT), big data and blockchain.

Yet, for Angola to take full advantage of these technological advancements, it must address a critical enabler: the development of resilient underlying infrastructure.

Data Centre and Edge Expansion

Africa’s data centre capacity is expected to see significant growth in the near future. The Africa Data Centres Association (ADCA) estimates a current live data centre capacity across the continent of 307 MW, mostly concentrated in South Africa, Kenya and Nigeria. ADCA further stated that a dozen or more African countries have economies sufficient to support the data centre and cloud services ecosystem, with estimates indicating that at least 1,200 MW of new capacity is required by 2030 to meet the continent’s demand for digital services. 

Angola is certainly one of those countries presenting a significant opportunity for infrastructure growth.

The move toward decentralised digital services will be critical in Angola, where connectivity gaps remain in underserved areas. Edge computing enables telcos and enterprises to deliver low-latency applications closer to users, supporting services like mobile banking, remote healthcare and smart education platforms. 

According to telecoms research company STL Partners, the number of greenfield edge sites in the EMEA region is projected to increase fivefold by 2027, reflecting a 30% compound annual growth rate. Angola can and should be part of this development.

The AI Era and High-Density Infrastructure

AI is becoming ubiquitous; it’s here and it’s here to stay, transforming our lives, our businesses and our IT infrastructure. And as AI workloads inevitably grow, so too does the need for high-density data centres capable of managing the extreme power and cooling requirements of accelerated computing.

Rack densities have been increasing steadily over the past few years, but for an industry that supported an average density of 8.2kW in 2020, the predictions of AI factory racks of 500 to 1000kW or higher in the near future represent an unprecedented disruption. This trend is already putting pressure on cooling systems, power distribution and operational efficiency.

As infrastructure scales, power demand also rises. And while steady progress has been made in increasing electrification and diversifying its energy sources, Angola still faces energy constraints, particularly in remote regions, posing challenges for data centre reliability. 

This is where hybrid and renewable energy solutions become crucial. Technologies such as battery energy storage systems (BESS), liquid cooling and solar-power integration will help provide resilient, cost-effective and energy-efficient infrastructure, especially in areas with unreliable grid access.

A Path Forward for Angola

Angola is steadily advancing towards a digitally inclusive future, one that helps the country to accelerate its digital economy while also empowering a young, mobile-first population. Its coastal access, central position in Southern Africa, and growing digital and energy infrastructure further position the country as a strategic hub for AI-ready technologies in the region. Vertiv supports this journey by delivering the critical infrastructure technologies that enable efficient, reliable and scalable digital growth.