Cape Town’s Municipal Planning Tribunal has approved Equinix’s proposal to develop two large hyperscale data centres in the King Air Industria precinct near the city’s airport, despite strong objections from community and environmental activists.
The decision represents a significant boost for South Africa’s expanding digital infrastructure sector as demand for cloud computing, artificial intelligence and data storage capacity continues to rise across the continent.
Tribunal approves major data-center project
The approval allows rezoning changes that would permit the development of two hyperscale data-centre facilities in King Air Industria, an industrial and logistics area located close to Cape Town International Airport.
Industry reports indicate that one planned facility could cover approximately 50,000 square metres, while the second could exceed 72,000 square metres. Together, the centres are expected to require about 170 megawatts of electricity, making the project one of the largest proposed data-centre developments in South Africa.
Activists raise environmental concerns
The project faced opposition from activist groups including the Housing Assembly and UK-based Foxglove, represented by the Legal Resources Centre (LRC).
The groups argued that the approval process did not provide sufficient information about the project’s expected:
- Water consumption,
- Electricity demand,
- Carbon emissions,
- Noise impacts,
- And broader environmental consequences for surrounding communities.
They also criticized the public participation process, saying nearby residents were not given adequate information to properly assess the development’s potential effects.
Equinix says construction has not yet been approved
Equinix welcomed the tribunal’s decision but emphasized that it has not yet submitted a site development plan or a formal construction application for the Cape Town facilities.
The company said that if the project proceeds to the next stage, it intends to continue engaging with local stakeholders and regulatory authorities.
Equinix already operates a data-centre facility in Johannesburg and has been expanding its presence in South Africa as cloud and AI-related demand grows.
Cape Town’s water and power pressures highlighted
The dispute has drawn attention to the broader challenge facing South Africa: balancing technology investment and economic growth with concerns about water security and electricity availability.
Cape Town remains particularly sensitive to large-scale industrial water use following the severe 2017–2018 “Day Zero” drought crisis, while South Africa’s national power system continues to face capacity constraints despite recent improvements in electricity supply.
Environmental groups argue that energy-intensive data centres could place additional pressure on local infrastructure if not accompanied by clear sustainability commitments and renewable-energy solutions.
Possible legal appeal still under consideration
Lawyers representing the objecting groups said they are considering an appeal against the tribunal’s ruling. Such a move could subject the project to further legal and regulatory scrutiny before any construction work begins.
For now, the tribunal’s decision marks an important milestone for Equinix and reinforces Cape Town’s growing role as a regional digital infrastructure hub for cloud computing, data storage and artificial intelligence services across Africa.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
