Supermicro, Exclusive Networks redefine Africa's IT

Supermicro, a leader in application-optimised total IT, has sought to expand its footprint across Africa by appointing Exclusive Networks Africa, a trusted cybersecurity specialist, as a distributor for the region

“The African market is marked by its rapid adoption of cutting-edge technology, largely due to a reduced dependence on legacy infrastructure. Exclusive Networks Africa’s strong presence across East and West Africa, the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the Indian Ocean Islands makes it an ideal partner to drive our growth ambitions,” remarked Wynand Möller, regional manager – sub-Saharan Africa at Supermicro.

“In a vast and diverse market like Africa, having a partner with the pedigree of Exclusive Networks Africa is critical. The company’s precision focus on security and data centre technologies aligns perfectly with our emphasis on next-generation solutions.”

Advancing AI

The two have a shared commitment to advance AI technologies and, to this end, Supermicro’s advanced graphical process unit (GPU) solutions will play a pivotal role. The GPU-driven innovations are designed to deliver robust, scalable and flexible infrastructure for AI acceleration, helping enterprises unlock new possibilities in AI deployment and data centre operations.

Möller added, “As the world’s third largest supplier and consumer of technology, behind only Microsoft and Meta, Supermicro’s GPU offerings play a key role in AI acceleration. This technology will form the cornerstone of the partnership with Exclusive Networks Africa, with a strong focus on GPU and data centre-related technology.”

“Organisations in Africa are increasingly repatriating their digital assets – such as data, applications or entire business processes – from public cloud environments to on-premises data centres, motivated by the need for greater control, performance, security and cost-efficiency,” commented Stefan van de Giessen, general manager for Africa at Exclusive Networks Africa.

“This trend is further driven by global geopolitical uncertainties and currency fluctuations impacting cloud costs. Exclusive Networks Africa is thrilled to collaborate with a company like Supermicro, a leader in advanced GPU technology, thanks to the growing AI market.”

Sustainability at the core

Supermicro has also explained that sustainability is a key cornerstone of the new partnership, with the company’s products designed for free-air cooling, liquid cooling-readiness and to reduce e-wastage.

“Very importantly for a region like Africa though is the focus on reducing power consumption,” said Van de Giessen. “Supermicro achieves this by sharing fans and power supplies, resulting in a more optimised operation, something that the business claims can reduce electricity use by an estimated 10%.”