Choosing between colocation and on-premises hosting can be a daunting decision, especially in South Africa where entry barriers and a foreign-dominated market limit local access to affordable, high-quality data centre infrastructure. As organisations undergo digital transformation, they require colocation solutions that do more than just store data – they must actively support growth, resilience and scalability.
Digital Parks Africa (DPA), a 100% African-owned, vendor-neutral data centre operator, is on a mission to make world-class infrastructure accessible and affordable to businesses of all sizes.
Head of business development at DPA Eckart Zollner explains that the company serves a diverse range of customer needs. “DPA’s flagship facility features segmented pods designed for ultimate flexibility, accommodating everyone. Some clients only need a modest half a rack, while others are looking for substantial capacity such as an entire pod or even an entire floor that can accommodate hundreds of racks. Our goal is to democratise access to world-class data centre facilities in South Africa and beyond.”
What sets DPA apart
What makes DPA stand apart from other data centres is its flexible, customer-centric model and its pass-through power billing, which ensures that clients only pay for the energy they use. “Our standard contracts include 72 hours of generator runtime per month at no additional charge, providing clients with reassurance of uninterrupted power,” says Zollner.
DPA’s focus on customer needs extends to customisation of white space. DPA head of sales Warren Schooling highlights a recent example: “We designed and implemented a custom cage solution for a valued client, providing an added layer of security within their allocated area. This is just one of many custom projects we’ve completed, often in the span of only a few weeks.” This level of responsiveness and adaptability, rare in the industry, is a cornerstone of DPA’s operations and is supported by an in-house team of certified engineers, technicians and architects.
Power, security, monitoring, connectivity and reporting
For any data centre, power, security, cooling and connectivity are essential, but at Digital Parks Africa, each of these service offerings reaches superior standards.
- Security: a multi-layered approach: Security is paramount at DPA. Site access is tightly controlled, beginning with offsite customer registration and synchronised gates managed by dual onsite and offsite network operations centres. Once onsite, visitors encounter multiple security doors and biometric locks continuing into the data hall, pods and even into the racks, with CCTV surveillance at every entry point. In addition, DPA offers real-time reporting on both biometric entries and CCTV footage, providing clients with transparency and peace of mind regarding access to their equipment.
- Power scaling and redundancy features: DPA’s infrastructure is built to handle diverse power needs, with capabilities for up to 15kW/rack (and more upon request) and provisions for both AC and DC power. Advanced metering and internet of things (IoT)-based monitoring offer real-time usage insights, ensuring clients can accurately track and manage power consumption. With purposely over-engineered systems and capacity planning, DPA ensures that clients can scale seamlessly as needs grow – without downtime. The facility’s triple-changeover system further enhances stability, seamlessly managing up to three power sources to guarantee reliable power delivery.
- IoT-driven data transparency: DPA has integrated IoT monitoring technologies into its operations, adding predictive capabilities that enhance service reliability. This technology aids DPA in analysing trends, power usage and temperatures, while providing real-time transparency to clients through APIs and comprehensive monthly reports. Clients receive detailed updates on power usage, cooling metrics, security logs and infrastructure health indicators.
Uniquely, Digital Parks Africa has developed all of its IoT equipment and systems in-house, drawing on years of expertise. This means that all hardware and technology – from the components in batteries, cooling units and generators to systems monitoring water pressure and other key metrics – is purpose-built to DPA’s specifications. The data, analytical and visualisation platforms are all custom-built and integrate machine learning algorithms developed by DPA’s software engineers, ensuring continual optimisation. This deep concentration of specialised skills and resources makes DPA’s data centre truly one of a kind.
These advanced reporting and monitoring tools offer clients an unparalleled level of insight and control over their data centre environments, reinforcing the company’s commitment to transparency and excellence. Schooling underscores this by noting that “providing transparency to our customers is essential. Because we operate on a pass-through power model, it’s crucial that customers have a clear, detailed view of their monthly usage.”
Comprehensive connectivity for optimal performance
DPA’s facility is designed for ultimate connectivity and open access. As a carrier-neutral hub, it offers a range of diverse fibre and wireless options, including remote network access points, on-site INX-ZA internet exchange points and multiple dark fibre routes.
The facility includes wireless mast services, premium backhaul options for wireless internet service providers, multiple meet-ne rooms and a carrier hotel facility. DPA’s Digital Parks Interconnect (DP-IC) ensures high-availability, low-latency connectivity to extend clients’ data centre footprint with flexible, futureproof options. This robust connectivity infrastructure is backed by DPA’s uptime-certified operations staff, providing reliable support and peace of mind.
Choose Digital Parks Africa for peace of mind
As automation in IT management grows, DPA offers businesses a cost-effective alternative to maintaining on-premises server rooms. Clients benefit from a high level of physical security, operational resilience and cost savings that traditional setups cannot match.
For more information on Digital Parks Africa’s colocation offering, visit the company’s website or send an e-mail to [email protected].
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