Visa’s first African data centre has been launched in Johannesburg. According to the payments giant, the infrastructure pushes the continent toward a more central and self-directed role in the global digital economy.
“The innovation happening in South Africa and the region is incredible,” said Rajat Taneja, president of technology for Visa, in a video message at the Johannesburg launch. “That’s exactly why we knew we have to be right here with you, bringing the best of our global infrastructure and local presence to the market to catalyse innovation and build the future of generative AI enabled commerce payments.”
The facility forms part of a R1-billion investment from Visa. This represents a step towards financial and digital sovereignty, innovation driven by inclusion, and Africa’s rising role as a digital powerhouse.
Visa SA country manager Lineshree Moodley said at the launch: “The data centre provides a very deep belief in the growth of the South African market.
“The launch of the data centre stands for what we believe from a Visa perspective: we innovate with inclusion in mind. As we look at advancing technologies and new innovations, we know that their power lies in being able to reach everyone, everywhere – irrespective of their background.”
Visa’s investment reflects a longer-term vision for how technology can drive meaningful change across the continent. The vision is rooted in expanding access, fostering innovation, and building systems that serve more people more effectively.
At the launch, Michael Berner, head of Southern and East Africa at Visa, said: “It’s not only for South Africa. This is our platform for further growth in the entire continent. It’s a sign of the importance which Africa has in the global economy and digital payments ecosystem.”
The Johannesburg facility is one of only a handful of Visa data centres outside the US, UK and Singapore. Its location signals Africa’s growing role in the company’s global infrastructure strategy.
A critical implication of this move is digital sovereignty. By processing transactions locally, SA reduces its dependency on offshore setups. This helps insulate its financial ecosystem from global disruptions, geopolitical or otherwise, and strengthens cybersecurity control within national borders.
Solly Malatsi, minister of communications and digital technologies, said in a video message at the launch: “By handling transactions here at home, this facility reduces reliance on overseas infrastructure and boosts our national financial sovereignty. This investment supports SA’s drive to build a secure and increasing digital economy.”
Malatsi said the centre establishes local capacity for advanced digital services. This, he said, aligns with the National Development Plan and the strategic goals of the Department of Communications and Digital Technologies.
“It unlocks opportunities for skills development and knowledge transfer as South African engineers and IT professionals work on world-class systems. In the broader ecosystem, Visa’s deeper footprint in SA opens up avenues for us to co-invest in initiatives like tech innovation hubs, incubators, scholarships, and digital literacy programmes.”
Infrastructure as a talent incubator
Moodley cited several partnerships as examples of how Visa’s physical presence in SA translates to localised innovation, including digitising public transport payments, reducing fraud on toll routes, and bringing payment infrastructure into underbanked township economies.
Through local initiatives and partnerships with fintech innovators and township economies, Visa is embedding the data centre within a broader strategy to reshape how marginalised communities engage with digital commerce.
Referencing She’s Next, a programme that provides funding and mentorship to women entrepreneurs, Moodley said: “The women-led businesses in SA are not just participating in innovation – they’re leading the charge. They are solving really pressing issues when it comes to infrastructure development, and food security.”
Visa’s new centre further positions the country as a breeding ground for future digital professionals. It aims to support job creation in the ICT sector.
Visa’s expanded presence includes digital literacy partnerships with the Financial Sector Conduct Authority and university-level training programmes in fintech. These initiatives are positioned to accelerate talent development, especially when combined with incubators, scholarships, and public-private partnerships.
Africa as a growth engine
Berner made it clear that Africa is no longer treated as a development zone by Visa – it’s a catalyst for development.
He said: “This is our platform for the further growth in the entire continent, and also a sign of the importance which the continent has in the global economy, and the growing importance of the continent in digital payments and in the economy overall.
The infrastructure supports existing demand, including a rise in tokenised and contactless transactions, but is also designed to catalyse further innovation, such as AI-driven and crypto-enabled platforms.
“We definitely continue to see Africa as our growth engine.”
This framing sets the tone for what’s next. The presence of local infrastructure aims to enable the next wave of digital products that are designed in, for, and with African markets in mind.
*Jason Bannier is a data analyst at World Wide Worx and writer for Gadget.co.za. Follow him on Bluesky at @jas2bann.