South Africa: Equinix’s 170 MW data centers challenged on appeal

The project is planned for the King Air Industria industrial area, close to the airport. The proposed development covers around 122,500 square meters. The appeal targets the decision made by the Cape Town municipal planning tribunal, which had given its approval in July despite objections raised during the process.

The organizations behind the appeal argue that the approval was granted without sufficiently detailed data on water consumption, electrical needs, backup diesel generators, emissions, and noise. They are calling for a new assessment to be conducted before the project can proceed.

Equinix, an American company specializing in digital infrastructure, confirmed that it has acquired the land in Cape Town. However, the company stated that no detailed development plan for the site has yet been submitted and that it will continue discussions with stakeholders if the project moves forward.

A project at the center of resource debate

This case arises as South Africa holds the largest share of data center capacity on the continent. According to estimates cited by the Financial Times, the country accounts for about 70% of Africa’s capacity, driven by the growth of cloud services, digital services, and computing needs related to artificial intelligence.

This expansion fuels a debate over resource consumption. In Cape Town, critics recall the water crisis that led the city to fear a “Day Zero” in 2018. They are demanding that future large-scale projects provide more precise information about their water and energy needs before any final approval is granted.

The controversy extends beyond the Equinix project alone. The South African Human Rights Commission has informed the Associated Press that it has received over 250 submissions as part of a consultation on the impacts of data centers on water, electricity, land, and local communities.

The appeal is now set to be reviewed as part of the municipal process. If successful, developers may be required to submit a new application or provide additional information regarding the project’s impact before proceeding with development steps.