Digital Parks Africa (DPA) is celebrating its eighth anniversary, and while it may be one of the younger players in the data centre market, it’s backed by a 25-year foundation in data centre systems and infrastructure.
Founded in 2017, DPA was born out of an opportunity identified in the local market by its sister company, Master Power Technologies (MPT), a leading player in critical power and turnkey data centre solutions across Africa.
At the time the data centre was built, the South African data centre landscape was shifting. Many Fibre Network Operators (FNOs) were moving away from owning and operating their own facilities, transitioning from CapEx-intensive models to more flexible OpEx strategies, as they could no longer justify the budgets needed to build and fit out large data centres themselves.
In response to this growing demand, DPA was created to meet the need for modern, reliable infrastructure. As a 100% South African-owned data centre provider, DPA has had an incredible journey marked by rapid growth, strong local partnerships, and a commitment to delivering world-class colocation solutions.
Plans set into motion
DPA quickly established itself as a trusted colocation provider. A well-known South African mobile network operator came on board as the first anchor tenant, lending immediate credibility to the business.
The tenant went live in April 2018. In the year that followed a global cloud provider approached DPA about its data centre services, and DPA was able to take this client live by mid-Feb 2019.
According to Jacques de Jager, COO for DPA the early days were intense. “As a young company, we were taking on a tremendous workload relative to our size – but those who stuck with us are now reaping the benefits. We’re enjoying significant growth and expansion.”
Expansion excitement
As DPA has continued to add new clients, it has also significantly expanded its infrastructure.
Following additional funding in 2021, DPA expanded significantly, adding multiple new floors to its Samrand facility and becoming the largest modular data centre in Africa.
This expansion enabled the company to adopt a multi-vendor strategy and secure key certifications, strengthening trust with both prospective and existing clients.
“From 2022 onwards, we focused on putting the right structure and goals in place, and that’s when clients really started to see us as a partner they could rely on,” said de Jager.
With its 2MW IT load milestone now reached, DPA continues to balance operational flexibility with robust structure — serving a broad spectrum of clients, including enterprises, telcos, and hyperscalers.
Agile approach
DPA prides itself on having built the largest modular data centre in Africa, although it’s also expanded its modular facility in Samrand with a brick-and-mortar section.
This hybrid approach reflects DPA’s flexible business model that enables rapid infrastructure changes – a crucial advantage for AI workload infrastructure, where client requirements and technologies evolve constantly.
“Our modular design means we can adapt infrastructure relatively fast,” says de Jager. “With constant change and uncertainty in the industry, this flexibility lets us stay aligned with specific market trends and client needs.”
The future is bright
DPA is grateful for the growth and support it has seen over the past eight years – and the company remains focused on delivering value, reliability, and innovation in the years ahead.
“As we celebrate our eighth birthday, it is a moment of celebration for all our staff and partners who have been with us through this journey,” said de Jager. “Thank you also to Menno Parsons for creating this opportunity, and to all our customers for their continued support.
Click here to learn more about DPA.
