Redefining Africa’s digital landscape, UniCloud Africa has launched its Sovereign Cloud Platform, under the theme: “One Cloud, One Africa,” marking a major milestone in the continent’s pursuit of digital and economic independence.
UniCloud Africa is a pan-African cloud services company dedicated to powering the continent’s digital future through secure, scalable, and locally hosted infrastructure. It also aimed to drive the region’s cloud computing market, estimated at $5 billion.
Unlike foreign cloud providers that host data offshore, UniCloud Africa’s sovereign platform is purpose-built for the continent, offering Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS), Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS), and data storage and backup solutions, all hosted locally to ensure compliance with national regulations. The initiative aims to reduce foreign exchange dependency, promote local data hosting, and give enterprises full access to their secured data.
Speakers at the event emphasised that UniCloud Africa’s mission extends beyond technology; it is about fostering Africa’s digital independence through trust, transparency, and accessibility. The platform guarantees 100 per cent in-country data hosting, zero data egress fees, local currency billing, and a 99.999 per cent uptime, meeting global standards such as ISO 27001 and ISO 22301.
Chief Executive Officer of Unicloud Africa, Ladi Okuneye, declared, “The platform is the foundation for Africa’s true Digital and Financial Independence.”
Okuneye said that for too long, African enterprises have been held back by the financial burden and compliance risks of offshore cloud platforms.
“This is a strategic shift. We are providing world-class infrastructure—backed by local currency billing, zero egress fees, and the peace of mind of ISO-certified, in-country data management. Unicloud Africa is the definitive foundation for Africa’s true digital and financial independence,” he stated.
Further, the company’s partnerships with TouchNet, Zadara, OADC, WIOCC, and IXPN formed the backbone of its operations, combining robust infrastructure with cutting-edge technology to deliver secure, compliant, and high-performance cloud services. TouchNet provides network reliability and connectivity, while Zadara powers UniCloud’s AI-ready infrastructure. Collaborations with OADC and WIOCC integrate subsea cables and data centres to create a seamless digital backbone with ultra-low latency across the continent.
UniCloud Africa’s leadership noted that the sovereign cloud initiative will transform Africa’s digital and economic ecosystem by offering predictable pricing through local billing and supporting national data sovereignty policies.
The company’s initial rollout covers Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa, Zambia, Senegal, and Mozambique, with expansion plans for Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Uganda, Côte d’Ivoire, Egypt, and Morocco in the coming months.
CEO of OADC, Dr Ayotunde Coker, said: ”We firmly believe that fully localised cloud infrastructure is critical for economic growth and Africa’s digital future. This is why OADC is fully committed to collaborating with and providing all needed support to partners like UniCloud Africa, who are key to realising a truly unified African digital ecosystem.”
