The turnkey development of the first NTT data centre in Africa at Centralpoint Innovation District in Samrand has begun.
The development of Johannesburg 1 Data Centre – dubbed JOH1 – is being developed by Growthpoint on behalf of NTT and Dimension Data, which represents the NTT business in the Middle East and Africa.
NTT operates one of the largest data centre platforms in the world, with over 160 data centres spanning more than 20 countries and regions.
The new multi-million-rand, 12-month development project, which broke ground in September 2020, will comprise 6 000 square metres of IT space and 20 MW of IT load facility.
JOH1 will also feature high-end offices with an NTT Technology Experience Lab (TEL), all supported by specialised security solutions.
The data centre is being built to tier-three standards. The JOH1 project is scheduled for practical completion in the fourth quarter of 2021 and NTT intends to launch it in 2022.
Designed to the international standards of NTT’s global data centres division, the opportunity to develop JOH1 in Centralpoint Innovation District was identified by Dimension Data and Growthpoint as early as 2017. The site’s ideal proximity to an electrical substation with ample generation capacity provides the massive advantage of extremely cost-effective electrical infrastructure set-up.
Estienne de Klerk, Growthpoint’s SA CEO, comments: “We are pleased to support the growth strategy of the Global Data Centres division of NTT Ltd. and to see this collaboration with our esteemed partner Dimension Data coming to fruition. Growthpoint is thrilled that NTT selected our Centralpoint Innovation District to increase its capabilities and global capacity and chose the Growthpoint development team for its first data centre in Africa.”
Centralpoint is located in Midrand, just off the N1 Samrand off-ramp between Johannesburg and Pretoria, with easy access to the east and west of Johannesburg and Pretoria. It enjoys highway access to the N1 North and South, and N14, easy connection to the R21 on route to OR Tambo via Olifantsfontein road, and is well served by public transport.