Visa launches first data centre in Africa to boost its growing digital payment

Global payment company Visa has unveiled its data centre in South Africa, representing the first in Africa. According to the company, the infrastructure serves as a platform for its growth across the African continent.

The company said that the data centre is structured to improve its services on the African continent, while the infrastructure location in South Africa will form its base for a broader extension to other parts of the continent. In addition, the infrastructure is part of Visa’s $57 million long-term plan to drive a base across the continent.

Visa, which launched in Africa 30 years ago, has now further solidified its presence with the first data centre in Johannesburg. However, reports noted that its exact location and size are not disclosed due to security concerns. 

While reacting to the development, Country Manager for Southern and Eastern Africa at Visa, Michael Berner, noted that the infrastructure is a testament to Visa’s growth, while the number of daily transactions across the continent continues to grow as well. 

“With this data centre, we believe we will bring even more innovations and more modern and sophisticated products to South Africa and the broader Africa,” said Berner.

According to experts, Visa’s investment in local infrastructure is set to boost Africa’s financial inclusion and reinforce efforts of the national government, banks and fintechs towards facilitating digital payments across Africa. 

South Africa’s Communications Minister, Solly Malatsi, tagged the data centre as a vote of confidence in the country as an investment destination. He said it will reduce the reliance on overseas infrastructure and bolster the country’s national financial sovereignty and Africa in extension. 

In addition, the $57 million plan is part of a $1 billion investment in Africa over five years, which was announced in 2022, aimed at strengthening the payment ecosystem through innovations and technologies.

Also Read: Visa appoints Aminata Kane as VP and Head, Western and Central Africa.

Visa is leveraging Africa’s growing digital payment

The data centre represents a pivotal part of the company’s global processing network, VisaNet. According to the payment service giant, the initiative has facilitated more than 100 billion transactions annually across 200 countries. 

A 2025 Mastercard-commissioned report by Genesis Analytics noted that Africa’s digital payments economy is expected to reach $1.5 trillion by 2030, supported by rapid advancements in internet penetration and financial inclusion. In reflection, Visa aims to leverage this by influencing Africa’s growth in digital payment. 

For Africa, Visa is introducing technological innovation where the data centre will allow the company to provide state-of-the-art technological solutions, including generative AI-enabled payments.

“Visa continues to be very committed to the growth of the economy on the continent and building the data centre, which is frankly one of very few that are built outside of our core locations, which are the U.S., the UK and Singapore, is evidence of this commitment,” Berner said.

The development comes in light of Visa’s expansion in West and Central Africa, a region where mobile money services are growing.

While the space holds high potential, circumventing structural challenges, inflexible operations, and limited platforms continues to hinder seamless payment. Also, several SMEs operate in low-banking environments, thereby creating financial inclusion gaps.

For Visa, addressing these barriers includes prioritising inclusive innovation, enhancing local partnerships, and scaling programs such as its Fintech Accelerator to support early-stage digital payment ventures. Making this a success involves building trust in an ecosystem where cybersecurity and financial literacy threaten digital finance.

The company looks to continue its strategic footprint across Africa and strongly influence its fast-growing digital financial payment ecosystem.