Sofibanque, a bank in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has moved into the Open Access Data Centres' (OADC) colocation facility in Kinshasa.
The 2MW facility is a joint venture between OADC and local real estate firm TEXAF that first went live in August this year.
Plans for the data center were first announced in early 2023.
Sofibanque said the move to the facility underscores its commitment to driving digital transformation in the DRC.
“This collective shift towards advanced infrastructure will play a critical role in the economic development of the DRC and neighboring countries, fostering a more inclusive financial system and supporting broader socio-economic progress. We are proud to support Sofibanque in their journey towards digital transformation and look forward to welcoming other local and pan Africa banks,” said Mohammed Bouhelal, managing director of OADC Texaf Kinshasa.
Henry Wazne, managing director and CEO of Sofibanque, added: “Our decision to partner with OADC Texaf Digital – Kinshasa reflects our commitment to offering the best possible service to our customers. The facility’s advanced infrastructure will enhance the availability of our services, allowing us to meet the growing demands of the market and support our long-term digital strategy. This partnership is a key step in our journey towards a more robust and agile IT environment that supports both our customers and the broader financial ecosystem in the DRC.”
The site is fed by utility power sourced from hydro generation and is said to be the DRC’s first carrier-neutral, open-access, and Uptime Institute Tier III certified data center (though Raxio's Kinshasa facility is also Tier III certified).
In November 2021, WIOCC announced it had raised $200 million to launch a new pan-African data center network known as Open Access Data Centres (OADC). OADC is planning several core data centers in countries across the continent and is rolling out hundreds of small Edge locations in South Africa.
With facilities also live in Nigeria and South Africa, the company has previously said it plans data centers in up to 20 countries across Africa, including Ghana, Cote d’Ivoire, Kenya, and Somalia.
Founded in 2010, Sofibanque currently operates in the DRC, but is said to be eyeing up expansion across the African continent.
According to Datacenter Map, there are three listed data centers in the DRC.