South African civil rights organizations are demanding a temporary freeze on the construction of new data centers until a thorough investigation into the country’s consumption of scarce water, land, and electricity resources is completed.
As South Africa establishes itself as the continent’s primary data hub, U.S. tech giants like Amazon, Microsoft, and Equinix are rapidly expanding their digital infrastructure within its borders. Civil society groups are now sounding the alarm over the opaque nature of these projects.
The South African Human Rights Commission informed The Associated Press that it has received more than 250 submissions from interested parties following a May call for public input.
President Cyril Ramaphosa stated that the nation currently hosts 70% of Africa’s data center capacity. He noted that the government views this as a significant opportunity within the global digital economy and is actively encouraging further tech investment.
Nevertheless, similar to trends in the United States where data centers are proliferating rapidly, the long-term environmental and societal ramifications of these facilities are facing intense scrutiny.
The commission highlighted a “significant growth” in the establishment of data centers, cloud infrastructure, and associated digital systems across the country.
Dr. Eileen Carter, who is leading the commission’s preliminary process, stated: “A key issue emerging from this process is the availability, consistency, and transparency of information regarding electricity and water demand, land use, infrastructure requirements, environmental impacts, and effects on surrounding communities.”
Among the recent municipal approvals that has drawn significant criticism is an Equinix hyperscale facility planned for Cape Town. This is a notable concern given that the city narrowly avoided a “Day Zero” in 2018, when severe water scarcity threatened to shut off its taps.
The nation’s recent history of widespread power cuts, known as “loadshedding,” has further fueled apprehension regarding the estimated 160 megawatts of electricity required to operate the facility.
Although South Africa appears to have surmounted its electricity crisis—with the national utility, Eskom, reporting a surplus during the winter peak-demand season—civil society groups remain wary of this surplus being diverted to data centers.
Some experts argue that the push for a temporary halt on new approvals should not be interpreted as a rejection of foreign investment, but rather as a necessary step to establish transparent regulatory frameworks.
“Serious investors are not deterred by clear rules. They price uncertainty, and an unregulated boom represents the most uncertain environment of all,” said Pitso Tsibolane, a senior lecturer in Information Systems at the University of Cape Town.
He noted that a primary issue is the lack of mandatory disclosure by operators regarding their water, electricity, and land commitments, meaning proposals are evaluated without concrete figures.
Industry operators have warned against equating data centers built in South Africa with large-scale facilities in the U.S., emphasizing that the latter require significantly more water, land, and power.
They highlight that Eskom currently maintains a power surplus and that the majority of data centers are increasingly utilizing renewable energy sources.
Sasha Booth-Beharilal, chairperson of the Internet Service Providers Association, stated: “It should be clear that the growth in energy demand driven by data centers is not contributing to electricity scarcity in South Africa, nor is this increasing demand causing rising electricity tariffs.”
He added: “Local data centers employ new technologies to minimize their water usage, which is substantially lower than the global average.”
The organization advocates for tech companies that operate data centers within the country.