Fast view
- Ninety One provided a senior secured loan to Paratus Group to finance a number of corporate strategic initiatives.
- These initiatives include enhancing last-mile connectivity and introducing more reliable internet services across three sub-regions and six countries in Africa: Namibia, Angola, Mozambique, DRC, Botswana, South Africa and Zambia.
| Sector: | Technology – Data centres |
| Total commitment: | US$31 million |
| SDGs: | 
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Background
Paratus is a pan-African telecommunications company that provides a wide range of services, including internet connectivity, data centres, cloud services and satellite communications; with a presence across seven countries in Southern, Central and East Africa. The company’s mission is to bring the benefits of modern connectivity to businesses and homes in developing countries, empowering them to thrive in the digital age.
Opportunity
The loan will be used to support expansion initiatives and strategic projects, primarily focusing on the construction of three new fibre routes connecting strategic cities. The new routes include Walvis Bay-Johannesburg-Maputo, Brazzaville-Johannesburg-Maputo, and Luanda-Lusaka-Dar Es Salaam, expanding the existing fibre network, which spans over 10,000 kilometres. Moreover, the loan will finance the development and construction of Angola’s first Tier IV data centre, the fifth carrier-neutral data centre for Paratus in Southern Africa, alongside two other Tier III data centres in Luanda, the Angolan capital.
Contribution and impact
The partnership between Ninety One and Paratus not only addresses Africa’s increasing demand for connectivity but also strengthens the continent’s core digital infrastructure, increasing access to reliable internet, which is fundamental to building more advanced economies, where a 10% increase in broadband penetration can boost GDP by 1.38%. Building world-class digital infrastructure will encourage the continent’s entrepreneurs to expand services through disruptive and high-growth businesses.