- Appointment underscores Digital Realty’s long-term African strategy, linking regional businesses to the global digital economy
- Louw brings more than two decades of infrastructure investment experience, including previous partnerships with Digital Realty
What happened: Marcel Louw to lead Digital Realty’s African expansion
Digital Realty, the world’s largest carrier-neutral data centre provider, has appointed Marcel Louw as Managing Director for Africa. He will oversee operations in Kenya, Mozambique, Nigeria and Ghana, reporting to Paula Cogan, Managing Director for EMEA.
The company said the move will support the expansion of PlatformDIGITAL®, its global data centre platform. Digital Realty already operates in Kenya, Mozambique, Nigeria and South Africa. To date, it has invested more than $2 billion across Africa.
Louw brings over 20 years of experience in fund management and infrastructure. He most recently served as Investment Director at Pembani Remgro Infrastructure Managers, an Africa-focused private equity firm. There, he co-led several major infrastructure funds, including a joint venture with Digital Realty on data centres.
Earlier in his career, he worked at The Carlyle Group’s Structured Credit Group in London. He also held roles at Goldman Sachs and the Royal Bank of Scotland.
Paula Cogan said Louw’s leadership will be “instrumental in driving the next phase of growth” and delivering large-scale digital infrastructure projects across Africa.
Also read: LINX partners with Digital Realty to launch IXP in Accra
Also read: Digital Realty adds AWS links in Singapore and Johannesburg
Why it’s important
Africa’s digital economy is expanding rapidly. Internet adoption and data consumption continue to rise, therefore driving demand for cloud services and interconnection.
Digital Realty’s decision highlights its confidence in Africa’s future and its ambition to strengthen leadership in regional infrastructure. Moreover, the company was recently ranked number one in Africa on Cloudscene’s Data Centre Ecosystem Leaderboard, underscoring its dominance.
By building new data centres and expanding its network, Digital Realty aims to connect African enterprises with global markets. Meanwhile, its strong local presence also supports cross-border collaboration and innovation.
Commenting on his appointment, Louw described Africa as “one of the world’s most dynamic digital frontiers”. He added that Digital Realty is “uniquely positioned to deliver the critical infrastructure that connects Africa to the world.”
