The geographic location and sheer size of the Democratic Republic of Congo( DRC) as it straddles countries located on both the East and West coasts of Africa have made it a central hub for data centres and fibre networks across Sub-Saharan Africa. The recent investments by Liquid Dataport, Raxio Group, Trident Digital Tech, British International Investment, and DP World highlight the growing potential of this African country.

The economic impact of drc’ s location and infrastructure

According to the World Bank Group, DRC, approximately the size of Western Europe, is the largest country in Sub-Saharan Africa and the fourth most populous on the continent. It boasts abundant natural resources, including cobalt, copper, and vast hydropower potential. The country’ s strategic location, straddling the East and West African coasts, has made it essential for data centre operations and fibre networks in the region.

Real GDP growth in DRC remained robust at 8.4 % in 2023, following an 8.9 % peak in 2022, driven by a strong mining sector. This sector grew by 18.2 %, contributing over 70 % to the overall growth. Projections indicate that GDP growth will moderate to 4.9 % in 2024, stabilising at around 4.8 % through 2025 – 26.

Fibre connectivity expansion

In June 2023, Liquid Dataport launched a groundbreaking fibre route connecting Mombasa, Kenya, to Muanda, DRC, marking the shortest link between East and West Africa. This new 3,800km route reduces data transmission latency by 20 milliseconds and forms part of Liquid’ s One Africa Digital Network, which spans 110,000 km. This

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