Executives from Airtel Africa, Government representatives, and Rendeavour at the official groundbreaking ceremony of the Nxtra by Airtel Africa data centre at Tatu City SEZ, Kenya.

Tatu City cements status as East Africa’s data centre hub

Home to Nxtra by Airtel’s 44MW sustainable data centre, Tatu City Special Economic Zone has established itself as East Africa’s data centre hub. Nxtra is supported by Tatu City’s provision of 95% renewable energy, making the location one of the greenest on earth for data centre investors and clients.

The Nxtra Data Center facility will deliver 44MW of IT power capacity in phases, and house new generation of servers as well as high-density GPU-ready racks with 99.999% uptime, multiple redundant fibre paths, and advanced security systems.

Tatu City has invested hundreds of millions of dollars in world-class infrastructure to become East Africa’s data centre hub. The city’s utilities include a 135MVA power substation and distribution network with 99.7% uptime, the country’s only location with 24/7 water supply for industries, comprehensive storm water management, 70km of international-standard roads, and more than 120km of secure underground fibre.

Stephen Jennings, Founder & CEO of Rendeavour, the owner and developer of Tatu City, said: “For more than a decade, we have invested in world-class infrastructure and sustainable energy at Tatu City to make it the natural home for data centres in East Africa. Airtel’s decision to locate Nxtra here is a powerful endorsement of this vision. As Nxtra joins over 100 global and local companies already thriving at Tatu City, we are confident that many more data centres will follow. Together, we are building the secure, scalable, and sustainable digital backbone that Africa needs for its economic transformation.”

Yashnath Issur, CEO, Data Centre, Airtel Africa, said: “By building the largest data centre in East Africa, we are laying the groundwork for a thriving digital ecosystem that empowers businesses, supports governments, and unlocks new opportunities for communities across the region. Nxtra by Airtel will be built to the highest global standards, ensuring reliability, scalability, and energy efficiency. Beyond capacity, our focus is on sustainability and resilience, enabling customers to fully leverage next-generation technologies in a secure environment.”

Tatu City delivers more than 95% renewable energy, making it one of the most sustainable locations for data centres worldwide. One-third of its demand is met directly by solar power. Combined with Kenya’s predominantly renewable national grid, Tatu City offers one of the cleanest and most reliable power supplies for digital infrastructure in the world.

Every day, more than 25,000 people live, work, and study at Tatu City. The city is home to 4,500 completed homes, 6,000 students, and businesses representing over KES 400 billion in investment. Businesses operating at Tatu City include Emirates Logistics, Heineken, Cold Solutions, FullCare Medical, Hounen, CCI Global, Dormans, Kärcher, Naivas, NCBA, Grit Real Estate Income Group, Hewatele, Freight Forwarders Solutions, Tamarind Group, ADvTECH, Friendship Group, Bakels, Novis, and Davis & Shirtliff.

Companies within the Tatu City SEZ enjoy significant incentives, including a 10% corporate tax rate for the first 10 years and 15% for the following 10 years, compared to the standard 30%. Businesses also benefit from VAT zero-rating on goods and services, as well as exemptions on import duty and stamp duty.