FIRST ON FOX: Africa could become the next major frontier for data centers and Artificial Intelligence, experts say. The Trump administration is backing and promoting American companies to make AI development, in their words, ‘the gold standard’. The U.S. is trying increasingly to grab business opportunities in Africa, as backlash and environmental restrictions hit data center development in the U.S. and Africa.
"Africa is emerging as a significant potential location for building AI infrastructure, especially as many mature markets face increasing environmental and power constraints," Abhishek Goyal, Consultant at specialist research group Arizton Advisory & Intelligence, told Fox News Digital. US COMPANIES WIN BILLIONS IN AFRICAN DATA CENTER DEALS IN DIRECT COMPETITION WITH CHINA He added, "The continent could become the next major frontier for AI infrastructure development. As the U.S. and Europe encounter challenges such as power scarcity, grid congestion, permitting issues and environmental regulations, Africa's underdeveloped infrastructure presents an opportunity rather than a disadvantage." A State Department spokesperson told Fox News Digital, "We are committed to ensuring that American AI – including enabling infrastructure like data centers – continues to be the gold standard worldwide, and that we remain the partner of choice for foreign governments and businesses who are seeking to upgrade their telecommunications networks and AI capabilities." Amongst other deals, this year with U.S. help, an American company has won a $6.2 billion deal in Lesotho in Southern Africa for a data center and hydropower plant.
In the central African country of Gabon, the U.S. Embassy helped win $600 million in business for American companies in 2025. And this year, the embassy in this central African country has assisted in securing a $100 million contract to supply two data centers and a gas-to-power plant, in the face of strong competition from China.
TRUMP GETS MAJOR WIN AGAINST CHINA IN AFRICAN RARE EARTH MINERALS RACE Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Frank Garcia previously told Fox News Digital, "Under President Trump’s leadership, the United States is assisting U.S. companies to find new markets and flourish in Africa." "Africa is experiencing a data center boom, but it begins from a very small base," Arthur Goldstuck told Fox News Digital. Goldstuck is CEO of South African technology research group World Wide Worx, and author of "The Hitchhiker’s Guide to AI – The African Edge." MASSIVE AI BOOM PUTS ONE OF AMERICA’S OLDEST MANUFACTURERS ON PATH TO DOUBLE IN SIZE, CEO SAYS Goldstuck said that because of a lack of capacity currently, "Africa will not replace either market as any kind of center of global computing. Rather, its attraction lies in serving a rapidly growing African cloud market, and processing African data closer to the people and businesses that generate it.
He continued, "Africa also gives U.S. companies access to a cloud and AI market that remains severely under-served. The opportunities extend from operating data centers to supplying AI chips, cooling systems, cybersecurity and power infrastructure. In some countries, a data center can also become the guaranteed customer that makes a new renewable-energy project financially viable.
American companies can therefore develop computing capacity and electricity generation together, in partnership with African companies and governments." But Goldstuck said that data center growth is fueled by local needs on the continent. "It is a boom by African standards. Africa remains far behind the U.S. and Europe in installed capacity, and weak electricity grids make construction and operation more difficult.
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