Digital Realty has announced the appointment of Marcel Louw as its Managing Director in Africa. In this role, Louw will provide strategic leadership across Kenya, Mozambique, Nigeria, and Ghana, building on the strength of Digital Realty’s existing operations and continuing to expand the company’s global data center platform, PlatformDIGITAL, in Africa. Louw will report to Paula Cogan, Digital Realty’s Managing Director of EMEA.
Louw brings more than 20 years of fund management and infrastructure experience. In 2012 he joined Pembani Remgro Infrastructure Managers, an Africa-focused private equity fund manager, where he currently serves as Investment Director. In this role, he helped establish several funds and led major infrastructure investments, including data centers in a joint venture with Digital Realty. Previously, he spent five years at The Carlyle Group’s Structured Credit Group in London and also held positions at Goldman Sachs (London) and the Royal Bank of Scotland.
Digital Realty’s latest leadership move reflects its long-term vision for Africa’s digital future. Building on a strong presence in Kenya, Mozambique, Nigeria, and South Africa, the company is expanding its vast network and data center capabilities across the continent, supporting economic growth, enabling cross-border collaboration, and seamlessly linking African businesses to the global digital economy.
Digital Realty has invested over $2 billion in Africa to date, underscoring its long-term commitment to building a robust interconnection ecosystem across the continent. The company was recently ranked number one in Africa on Cloudscene’s Data Center Ecosystem Leaderboard, cementing its position as a leading enabler of digital infrastructure in the region.
“Marcel’s extensive experience in infrastructure investment and fund management across Africa, the UK, and Europe will be instrumental in driving our next phase of growth on the continent,” said Paula Cogan, Managing Director, EMEA. “His proven track record in delivering large-scale infrastructure projects aligns perfectly with our mission to support enterprises – both global and local – as they scale and innovate in Africa.”
Commenting on his appointment, Louw said, “Africa is one of the world’s most dynamic digital frontiers, and its influence on the global digital economy continues to grow. As the continent’s leading data center provider, Digital Realty is uniquely positioned to deliver the critical infrastructure that connects Africa to the world. Together with our talented team, we will continue to build the platforms that drive innovation, expand opportunity, and deepen Africa’s integration into the global digital ecosystem.”
Through this leadership appointment, Digital Realty continues to strengthen its pan-African strategy, connecting key markets and enabling enterprises to thrive in the digital economy.
