Africa’s cloud race heats up as UniCloud expands into six markets with new CEO

UniCloud Africa Limited has appointed Krishnan Ranganath as its new chief executive officer, as the company expands its cloud infrastructure across the continent amid rising demand for local data control.

The pan-African cloud company said the leadership change comes as it launches enterprise-grade sovereign cloud and artificial intelligence infrastructure in six countries: Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa, Zambia, Senegal and Mozambique.

Ranganath, a former West Africa executive at Africa Data Centres, takes over at a time when African governments and businesses are pushing for greater control over their data, driven by concerns over latency, regulation and dependence on offshore cloud providers.

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“UniCloud sits at the centre of Africa’s cloud evolution,” Ranganath said, adding that the company plans to deploy fully sovereign infrastructure across the continent and build partnerships to support growth.

The company operates under a ‘One Cloud, One Africa’ strategy, offering services designed to keep data within national borders while meeting local regulatory requirements. This approach is gaining traction as countries tighten rules on data protection and digital sovereignty.

UniCloud said its infrastructure is designed to provide a scalable alternative to foreign cloud providers, which often host African data in Europe or other regions, leading to delays and compliance challenges.

The move positions UniCloud to compete in a fast-growing market, where demand for cloud services is rising due to increased digital adoption, fintech growth and government digitisation efforts.

Ranganath said the company would also deploy graphics processing units (GPUs) in selected markets to support artificial intelligence workloads, reflecting the growing importance of AI infrastructure in Africa’s digital economy.

However, he acknowledged challenges including high energy costs, limited infrastructure in some regions and the complexity of integrating AI systems.

“While the challenges are significant, the opportunities are greater,” he said.

UniCloud plans to expand into additional markets including Kenya, Tanzania, Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, Ethiopia and Côte d’Ivoire as part of its continental growth strategy.

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Outgoing CEO Ladi Okuneye, who will remain on the board, said Ranganath’s experience in building digital infrastructure across Africa makes him well suited to lead the company’s next phase.

The appointment comes at a time when competition in Africa’s cloud market is intensifying, with global hyperscalers and regional data centre operators increasing investments in local infrastructure.

As more African countries seek to retain control over their digital assets, companies like UniCloud are betting that demand for sovereign cloud solutions will continue to grow.