As Africa accelerates its digital transformation, local data centres are becoming critical enablers that bring cloud services closer to users, reduce latency and support compliance with data sovereignty laws. With digital transformation becoming a strategic imperative across industries, the demand for secure, scalable and resilient data storage and processing solutions continues to surge. Heightened concerns around data privacy, data sovereignty and localisation requirements are accelerating this shift, driving increased investment in local data centres to meet regulatory and operational expectations.
However, the path forward is not without challenges. Organisations face persistent constraints in technical resourcing and workforce training, which can hinder implementation and long-term sustainability. Additionally, reliance on vendors priced in US dollars introduces financial volatility, especially in emerging markets where currency fluctuations can significantly impact budgeting and procurement.
No longer a nice-to-have
Traditionally, data protection was not seen as critical but rather as a nice-to-have. Organisations did not need to back up every server, and disaster recovery sites were often minimal, just a few machines in a separate location.
But over the past decade, this mindset has shifted dramatically. Data protection has moved from the bottom of the IT budget to the top of the strategic agenda. Previously, organisations would prioritise spending on servers and networking, with backup systems often treated as an afterthought. Now, it is the opposite: securing data is front and centre.
Companies are investing heavily in robust data protection strategies, especially cloud-based backups and fully equipped disaster recovery environments. These two areas have become the most critical pillars of modern infrastructure.
To safeguard against modern threats like ransomware, organisations must adopt a layered data protection strategy. This includes robust backups paired with immutable storage and air-gapped copies, end-to-end encryption, continuous monitoring and strong access controls, regular risk assessments and comprehensive data loss prevention, and data de-identification and vulnerability management to reduce exposure.
Following the 3-2-1-1-0 backup rule – three copies, two media types, one offsite, one offline/immutable, and zero backup errors – is essential for ensuring recoverability and resilience.
Importance of air-gapping
In the current threat landscape, air-gapped backups and other ransomware protection technologies are crucial for maintaining business continuity and data integrity. They act as a last line of defence against ransomware attacks, ensuring that a copy of critical data remains secure and recoverable, even if the primary network is compromised. This isolation prevents attackers from accessing and encrypting or deleting backups, which is a common tactic used to force ransom payments.
In Africa’s fast-changing digital environment, CIOs and data centre operators must prioritise IT resilience and adaptive disaster recovery. This means conducting rigorous risk assessments, identifying critical systems and recovery time objectives, and diversifying data centre locations to mitigate infrastructure challenges.
As Artificial Intelligence (AI) and automation reshape operations, integrating data security with emerging risks is essential. Disaster recovery plans must be tested and updated regularly to stay aligned with evolving technologies and regulatory demands. By embedding resilience into core operations, organisations can protect continuity and lead confidently in the region’s digital transformation.
Sustainable growth while boosting resilience
African enterprises can achieve sustainable growth while strengthening compliance and cyber resilience by embedding cybersecurity into their strategies from the outset. This means conducting regular risk assessments, deploying robust controls such as multi-factor authentication and encryption, and cultivating a security-aware culture through ongoing employee training on threats like phishing and insider risk. Comprehensive incident response planning ensures readiness, while standardising and automating workflows boosts productivity without compromising control or regulatory alignment.
Ultimately, by treating cybersecurity as a strategic enabler, not just a technical safeguard, organisations on the continent can build trust, agility and long-term competitiveness.
