Two names keep coming up in the same breath for anyone shopping for data centre space in Kenya: Raxio and Africa Data Centres. Both are pan-African operators, both describe themselves in nearly identical language (carrier-neutral, Tier III, enterprise-grade), and both have Kenya in their growth plans. The main difference between them today is timing: one is operational in Nairobi, while the other is still building toward its Kenya opening. This article walks through what each operator has delivered and what is still ahead of it, in plain English, so you can plan on verified facts.
A fair comparison starts with verification. Before putting these two names side by side, we checked every claim in this article against primary sources: the operators' own websites, independent industry directories and trade press with named publication dates. Where something could not be confirmed, we say so. That is the house standard at DC254, and it applies to every operator we cover equally.
First, the location claim, checked
Some comparison notes describe this matchup as "Mombasa Road versus Upper Hill or Karen". We checked, and the second half does not hold up. Africa Data Centres' own website places its Nairobi flagship NBO1 at Sameer Business Park, Block A, on Mombasa Road (fetched 16 September 2026). PeeringDB, the industry's independent directory that operators themselves update, lists the same address (entry dated September 2025), and third-party facility trackers agree. No Africa Data Centres facility sits in Upper Hill or Karen.
Why does an address deserve a whole section? Because practical decisions start there: a site visit, a pricing call, a carrier ordering last-mile fibre, all begin with a location. The confirmed picture is simple: NBO1 sits on Mombasa Road, inside Sameer Business Park, and that is where the most densely connected building in Kenya stands, with four internet exchanges operating on site.
Africa Data Centres: what is verifiable
Africa Data Centres is the data centre arm of Cassava Technologies, a group headquartered in South Africa, and its Kenyan story is currently the more concrete one. The flagship, NBO1, is operational at Sameer Business Park as described above, with about 2,000 square metres of technical space listed in its network directory entry, and a reputation as the building where Kenyan networks meet: four internet exchanges under one roof, which is precisely what carrier neutrality is supposed to deliver.
Then there is the new one. In September 2026, Digital Realty and Africa Data Centres launched NBO2 in Nairobi, with about 6.4 megawatts of commissioned capacity reported by trade press (ET Datacenters, 10 September 2026; first reported 7 September 2026). We examined the launch and the "gateway" claims around it in a separate piece on NBO2. A megawatt, for scale, is roughly the draw of a few hundred Kenyan homes, so 6.4MW of commissioned data centre capacity is a serious expansion of what Nairobi can host.
The verifiable summary for ADC: one operational flagship with unmatched connectivity, one brand-new facility with a joint-venture partner, group ownership under a listed-technology family, and addresses you can physically visit tomorrow.
Raxio: what is verifiable, and what is not
Raxio Group, established in 2018, describes itself as Africa's leading carrier-neutral Tier III operator, and its expansion record so far supports that description. Its Kampala facility opened in 2021 and its first Angola facility launched in late 2025 (Raxio pages and launch coverage). The money is real too: in July 2026 the group secured up to US$380 million to fund African expansion (Data Centre Magazine, 13 July 2026), and its earlier build-outs carried a US$12.24 million guarantee from MIGA, the World Bank Group's investment insurance arm, approved in September 2022. Institutional backing of that kind is a meaningful signal: professional insurers and lenders ran their own diligence before underwriting the build.
Kenya is squarely in the plan. Sector briefings, including the D4D Hub's East African market briefs (Xalam Analytics, January 2026), describe Kenya as one of Raxio's target locations, with a first facility suggested to go live in 2026. As of 16 September 2026, though, the first Nairobi facility has not opened yet: no launch announcement, customer-facing address or commissioning report has been published so far. Our directory, which holds every Kenyan facility to the same verification bar of primary confirmation, lists Raxio Nairobi as early stage. That is a status, not a criticism; every operational facility on our books was an announcement first. For buyers, it simply means Raxio belongs on the watch list for future tenders rather than the shortlist for capacity needed this quarter.
The distinction matters because these two operators are at different stages of the same journey. Africa Data Centres' Kenyan facilities are open and taking customers; Raxio's are still on the way. Neither stage is better or worse in itself; what matters is matching the operator's stage to your timeline. If you need capacity this quarter, the open facilities decide themselves. If you are planning 2027 tenders, both names belong in the conversation.
So who wins for a Kenyan buyer?
If the question is where to place hardware this quarter, the answer does not actually involve a versus: it involves the facilities that are open. Nairobi's operational, verifiable options include NBO1 on Mombasa Road, the new NBO2, iColo Nairobi One under Digital Realty, iXAfrica's NBOX1 campus, and PAIX, all covered with a checklist in our Nairobi colocation buyer's guide. Choosing among them is about power headroom, connectivity needs, price and support, not brand slogans.
Raxio's Kenya entry, when it lands, is good news even for people who will never buy from it. Nairobi's colocation market is thin on genuine carrier-neutral competition, and every new Tier III entrant tends to sharpen pricing and service across the market. The right posture is to watch, not wait: keep Raxio on the evaluation list for future tenders, and check our directory, which will update Raxio's status the day the facility opens.
One last habit worth borrowing, and it works with any operator on your shortlist: ask for three things that are easy to confirm. An opening date you can verify, a Uptime Institute certificate (our Tier ratings explainer shows what the labels mean), and the list of carriers physically on site. Established operators produce all three as a matter of routine, and asking the question itself signals that you know what to look for. That single habit will serve you well in this fast-moving market.
Frequently asked questions
Is Raxio open in Nairobi yet?
Not as of 16 September 2026. Raxio Group has publicly targeted Kenya as a key market, and sector briefings have suggested a first Kenyan facility going live in 2026, but the first Nairobi facility has not opened yet: no launch announcement, address or commissioning report has been published so far. DC254's directory therefore lists Raxio Nairobi as early stage, and we will update it the moment that changes. Announcements turning into operating facilities is the normal rhythm of this industry; the label simply tracks where each operator stands today.
Where is Africa Data Centres' NBO1 located?
NBO1 sits at Sameer Business Park, Block A, on Mombasa Road in Nairobi. That address is confirmed by Africa Data Centres' own website and by PeeringDB's independent listing (September 2025). It is the most densely connected data centre building in Kenya, with four internet exchanges on site, which means networks meet and exchange traffic inside the building.
Who owns Africa Data Centres?
Africa Data Centres is part of Cassava Technologies, a technology group founded by Zimbabwean-born businessman Strive Masiyiwa and headquartered in South Africa. In Nairobi, the group also partnered with Digital Realty on the NBO2 facility, which launched in September 2026 with about 6.4MW of commissioned capacity reported by trade press.
Who is behind Raxio Group?
Raxio Group, established in 2018, describes itself as Africa's leading carrier-neutral Tier III data centre operator, with facilities including its Kampala site opened in 2021 and a first Angola facility launched in late 2025. In July 2026 it secured up to US$380 million to fund African expansion, and its earlier build-outs drew a USD 12.24 million guarantee from MIGA, the World Bank Group's investment insurance arm (approved September 2022). The Kenya facility is announced but not yet open.
Which should a Kenyan business choose today?
If you need rack space or compute capacity in Nairobi now, the operational options are Africa Data Centres NBO1, the new NBO2, iColo Nairobi One, iXAfrica NBOX1 and PAIX, all of which we cover in our colocation buyer's guide. Raxio is a name to watch: when it opens, carrier-neutral competition in Nairobi increases, which historically lowers prices for everyone. Until then, if Raxio comes up in a future tender, three questions will tell you most of what you need: when does it open, is it Tier III certified, and which carriers are on site?