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Africa Data Centres Breaks Ground for Samrand Facility Expansion

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Africa Data Centre

Africa Data Centre’s entire platform capacity is expected to exceed 100MW on completion of the Samrand Facility

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, August 30, 2022/APO Group/ — 

Expansion of Africa Data Centre (www.AfricaDataCentres.com) Samrand Facility from 10MW to 40MW; Africa Data Centre’s entire platform capacity is expected to exceed 100MW on completion of the Samrand Facility.

Africa Data Centres, a business of Cassava Technologies, a pan-African technology group, announced that it has broken ground on the expansion of its Samrand facility in Johannesburg, from 10MW to 40MW of IT load.

“The expansion,” says Tesh Durvasula, CEO of Africa Data Centres, “will happen in multiple phases. The construction of the first phase is starting today and will deliver 20MW across eight data halls by 2023. The next phase will include an additional 10MW of IT load by the end of 2025. The infrastructure will be fully modular with all critical plant rooms being prefabricated off-site.”

The company recently said it is expanding its capacity in Johannesburg to 100MW of IT load. This announcement comes hot on the heels of the recent launch of a new 10MW data centre at the company’s campus in Midrand and the expansion of the organisation’s operations in Accra, Ghana.  

This is a step forward in the organisation’s massive expansion plans announced in September, the most ambitious data centre expansion plans Africa has ever seen

According to Durvasula, “This is a step forward in the organisation’s massive expansion plans announced in September, the most ambitious data centre expansion plans Africa has ever seen.”

This will see the data centre giant building large hyper-scale data centres across Africa, including the top five data centre markets in North Africa, namely Morocco, Tunisia, Kenya, South Africa and Egypt.  “Our unmatched investment of $500m will enable Africa Data Centres to build numerous interconnected, cloud- and carrier-neutral data centres across the continent. It will more than double our already significant footprint on the continent and aims to help Africa achieve its digital transformation goals,” he added.

The breaking of ground for Africa Data Centres’ Johannesburg facilities is an integral part of the expansion, as South Africa is one of the most important data centre markets in Africa and a gateway for smaller neighbouring markets.

“South Africa is a strategic location, being at the southern-most point of Africa and is undoubtedly the de facto data centre and technology hub for the sub-Saharan Africa region,” adds Durvasula. “This, in conjunction with the increasing fibre connectivity brought by both undersea and terrestrial fibre networks, makes it at the vanguard of data centre expansion on the continent”.

Africa Data Centres’ ongoing investments in world-class data centre facilities will enable global cloud clients to service South Africa and the entire sub-Saharan African region. Once the Samrand facility expansion is completed, Africa Data Centre’s entire platform capacity is expected to exceed 100MW.

Africa Data Centres continues to invest heavily into the region’s ICT infrastructure and can now confidently say it is the continent’s largest and best data centre operator. The organisation’s carrier- and vendor-neutral offering ensures that clients can access interconnection and best-in-class data centre infrastructure. In addition, the expansion of the Samrand facility, and growth plans, shine the spotlight on our dedication and commitment to driving digital forward in Africa.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Africa Data Centres.

Business

Via Licensing Alliance Expands Voice Codec Program with New Licensee, New Licensors, Publishes Comprehensive Pool Rate Structure

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Via Licensing Alliance

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES – Media OutReach Newswire – 22 May 2026 – Via Licensing Alliance (Via) today announced continued momentum for its Voice Codec patent pool, including the addition of a new unnamed licensee and new licensors, NovaVoice Limited and Cordial IP, further growing the program’s patent stack and market penetration from its initial five, large global licensors.

The addition of the new licensee, unnamed at this time, reflects growing industry adoption of the collaborative licensing pathway Via’s Voice Codec program creates for accessing IP rights to critical voice technologies. This addition reflects a growing market uptake of advanced voice technologies, including EVS and IVAS, driven by rising demand as 5G and 5G-Advanced technologies are adopted worldwide.

Additionally, Via continues to prioritize transparency and has published its full rate structure for the Voice Codec pool, providing further clarity and predictability for implementers and to the broader market. For implementers, the full rate structure allows for complete visibility as they consider the appropriate royalty structure to choose from to meet their product level costs, evaluate future growth paths for their product lines, or plan their geographical expansion plan needs. This level of disclosure not only reduces uncertainty in licensing decisions but also enables more consistent benchmarking, reinforcing confidence in fair, market-aligned SEP licensing practices. The program’s royalty rates are listed on Via’s website at https://www.via-la.com/licensing-programs/voice-codec/#license-fees.

The addition of the new licensors indicates increased interest from patent holders in licensing their voice technology SEPs through highly efficient, aggregated licensing vehicles such as patent pools. Future growth in both the licensor list and the number of patents consolidated through the pool license will continue to enhance the value of the Voice Codec License for implementers. Via’s Voice Codec program licensors are listed here: https://www.via-la.com/licensing-programs/voice-codec/#licensors.

Via’s Voice Codec pool covers Enhanced Voice Services (EVS), which supports voice communications across more than one billion and growing active devices globally, as well as Immersive Voice and Audio Services (IVAS), which will play a central role in next-generation voice and spatial audio applications.

“We are pleased to welcome these new entrants to our pool, which signal continued growth and momentum our Voice Codec program,” said Kevin Mack, President of Via Licensing Alliance. “This pool license offers strong value relative to other market options and represents the only collaborative licensing solution for EVS and IVAS technologies, making it a smart and efficient pathway for companies seeking to license critical voice capabilities.”

EVS remains a foundational technology for high-quality voice communications in 5G and 5G-Advanced networks, with adoption continuing to expand as 5G, 5G-Advanced and future network iterations reach global scale. As spatial audio and advanced voice technologies expand into 6G and a broader range of non-cellular devices, the importance of IVAS technologies is expected to increase, with Via’s pool offering an early and effective licensing pathway.

For more information about the Voice Codec patent pool, including information for prospective licensees, please visit https://www.via-la.com.

About Via Licensing Alliance:
Via Licensing Alliance is the collaborative licensing leader, dedicated to accelerating global technology adoption, fostering participation, and generating return on innovation with balanced licensing solutions for innovators and manufacturers of all sizes around the globe. Via has operated dozens of licensing programs for a variety of technologies. Via is an independently managed company owned by industry-leading participants with over 25 years of intellectual property licensing leadership. For more information about Via, please visit https://www.via-la.com.

 

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Joint statement welcoming the Republic of Togo’s announcement on Visa facilitation for African nationals

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Togo

The AfCFTA Secretariat and Afreximbank commend the Government and people of the Republic of Togo for hosting Biashara Afrika 2026 and for their continued commitment to advancing Africa’s economic integration agenda

LOMÉ, Togo, May 21, 2026/APO Group/ –The AfCFTA Secretariat and African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) (www.Afreximbank.com) welcome the announcement by the Government of the Republic of Togo, under the leadership of H.E. Faure Essozimna Gnassingbé, President of the Council of the Republic of Togo, regarding measures to facilitate visa-free entry for all nationals of African States holding valid passports, as announced by the Minister of Security on 18 May 2026.

The announcement was made in Lomé on the sidelines of Biashara Afrika 2026, the continent’s premier trade and business platform, which has brought together policymakers, private sector leaders, investors, and stakeholders from across Africa to advance dialogue on intra-African trade, investment, and regional integration.

Throughout the engagements, participants underscored the importance of facilitating the movement of African citizens, entrepreneurs, and investors as an important enabler of intra-African trade and economic cooperation. Against this backdrop, the announcement reflects the growing continental momentum towards strengthening connectivity and deepening African integration.

The AfCFTA Secretariat and Afreximbank, to which Togo is a State Party and a Member State, envision a continent where goods, services, capital, and people move more freely across borders in support of an integrated African market. Measures that facilitate mobility and connectivity continue to contribute towards advancing the broader mandate of both institutions; the attainment of the aspirations of Agenda 2063.

The AfCFTA Secretariat and Afreximbank commend the Government and people of the Republic of Togo for hosting Biashara Afrika 2026 and for their continued commitment to advancing Africa’s economic integration agenda.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Afreximbank.

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Morocco: African Development Bank commits €200 Million to boost employability and develop future skills

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Morocco

This results-based financing is designed to strengthen the relevance, quality, and diversity of vocational training through the digitalisation of services, the large-scale rollout of learning systems, and stronger labour market integration mechanisms

RABAT, Morocco, May 21, 2026/APO Group/ –The Board of Directors of the African Development Bank Group (www.AfDB.org) has approved €200 million in financing for the implementation of the “Cap Compétences 2030” programme, aimed at improving employment opportunities for young people and women.

 

This results-based financing is designed to strengthen the relevance, quality, and diversity of vocational training through the digitalisation of services, the large-scale rollout of learning systems, and stronger labour market integration mechanisms.

 

Cap Compétences 2030 is built around three pillars: skills development and strategic partnerships; inclusive training aligned with business needs; and digital transformation, supported by stronger institutional and operational capacity. The programme will also consolidate existing mechanisms while improving both their efficiency and reach.

 

Through the initiative, the African Development Bank seeks to expand access to diversified training opportunities and enhance the professional integration of beneficiaries into the labour market.

Our shared objective is to harness the demographic dividend to support value creation and promote employment, particularly for young people and women

 

Achraf Tarsim, Country Manager of the African Development Bank Group in Morocco, said Cap Compétences 2030 aligns with the priorities of the country’s National Employment Roadmap 2025–2030 and the Bank’s strategic vision under its Four Cardinal Points (https://apo-opa.co/3PDHMHn). “Our shared objective is to harness the demographic dividend to support value creation and promote employment, particularly for young people and women,” he said.

 

The Bank’s intervention is being implemented in close coordination with technical and financial partners to strengthen coherence and complementarity in support of public policy reforms.

 

This programme reflects the Bank’s long-term engagement in Morocco in the areas of human development, employment, and social inclusion. It also builds on a broader portfolio of results-based operations that contribute to structural reforms of the labour market and vocational training system.

 

Since its establishment, the African Development Bank Group has mobilised more than €15 billion across strategic sectors in Morocco, including education, health, employment, infrastructure, energy, and governance.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Development Bank Group (AfDB)

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