Johannesburg becomes Africa's first Azure ExpressRoute Metro hub

Cassava Technologies has strengthened Africa's cloud infrastructure by expanding cloud resilience capabilities through a new Microsoft Azure ExpressRoute Metro peering location in Johannesburg

The milestone, delivered through its businesses Africa Data Centres and Liquid C2, enhances secure, high-performance cloud connectivity for enterprises across the continent.

Africa Data Centres has been designated a Microsoft Azure ExpressRoute Metro peering location, making Johannesburg the first metro area in Africa to support the service. The development reinforces Cassava Technologies' position in advancing the continent's digital infrastructure while enabling organisations to access more resilient and secure cloud services.

Leveraging its on-net presence across both ExpressRoute Metro locations in Johannesburg, Liquid C2, Cassava Technologies' cloud and cyber security business, will provide Secure CloudConnect, a fully managed solution that combines resilient private cloud connectivity with integrated cyber security capabilities. The service is designed to provide customers with a secure and reliable connection to Microsoft Azure.

"Being designated a Microsoft Azure ExpressRoute Metro peering location is a defining moment for Africa Data Centres as well as for Africa's digital infrastructure. It reflects growing confidence in the continent's ability to support the next generation of cloud and AI-driven services while demonstrating the strength of our One Cassava model. By combining the infrastructure capabilities of Africa Data Centres with the cloud and cyber security expertise of Liquid C2, we are providing organisations with the resilient, secure, and trusted digital foundation they need to accelerate innovation and growth," said Ziaad Suleman, senior vice- president of Cassava Technologies South Africa and Botswana.

As Africa's first ExpressRoute Metro deployment, Johannesburg now joins a select group of global technology hubs offering enhanced cloud resilience through dual peering locations. Africa Data Centres' JHB1 facility serves as the second peering location within the Johannesburg metropolitan area, enabling ExpressRoute Metro to route a single connection through two separate sites to provide built-in redundancy for business-critical applications.

The expansion comes as organisations face increasing regulatory requirements around operational resilience, business continuity, risk management and data protection.

To address these needs, Liquid C2's Secure CloudConnect enables organisations to strengthen cyber security, minimise the risk of service disruption and simplify the management of increasingly complex cloud environments, while supporting compliance with governance and regulatory expectations. The managed service also allows customers to work with a single provider while accessing infrastructure built to support mission-critical operations.

"South Africa isn’t waiting for the AI era - it’s helping to shape it, and that ambition rests on digital infrastructure the country can trust. With Microsoft Azure ExpressRoute Metro now available in Johannesburg, organisations across South Africa gain a more resilient and secure path to the cloud for their most critical workloads," said Vukani Mngxati, CEO of Microsoft South Africa.

"When businesses can build on trusted, resilient foundations, they can move faster, compete on the global stage, and turn South Africa’s digital ambition into real economic impact. We are proud to work with Cassava Technologies to help make that happen."

The new ExpressRoute Metro capability represents another step in strengthening Africa's enterprise digital ecosystem by combining hyperscale digital infrastructure with managed cloud security services. Through the integration of Africa Data Centres' infrastructure and Liquid C2's cloud expertise, Cassava Technologies is helping businesses across the continent improve resilience, accelerate digital transformation and support the growing adoption of cloud and AI-enabled applications.