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Data centers in Western Cape: 1 project mapped
Four large new data centers are planned in Cape Town, and together they would need 580 megawatts of power, just over 34% of the city's current maximum electricity demand of 1,676 megawatts, Daily Maverick reported in April 2026. The biggest is a 360-megawatt campus on a 100-hectare site announced by the Cavaleros Group; Teraco plans another 60 megawatts, and Equinix two centers with a combined peak demand of 160 megawatts. The city's Municipal Planning Tribunal approved the Equinix plan on July 14, 2026, with conditions.
The Equinix site is the old King David golf course next to Cape Town International Airport, in the King Air Industria development. The Housing Assembly, which represents residents of informal settlements and backyard dwellings, and the London group Foxglove objected through the Legal Resources Centre. They said the rezoning rested on "a 24-page motivational letter that says nothing about water, nothing about emissions, limited on electricity, nothing about diesel generators, nothing about air pollution, nothing about noise." Equinix said it would use dry, air-based cooling that needs "no water for data hall cooling."
The objectors said neighbors in Nooitgedacht, Matroosfontein and Gugulethu had a right to know about diesel exhaust and fuel storage. After the approval, their attorney Kimal Harvey said: "The people, including us, do not know what this will mean for our already stressed water, electricity and environmental systems." The groups said in July they were considering an appeal. The city welcomes the demand, saying data centers' steady power use helps it cross-subsidize other customers. Deputy mayor Eddie Andrews said Equinix still needs further approvals, including a site development plan, before it can build.
Projects not tied to an area
Sites whose records name no county. Everything else is on the pages listed above.
Western Cape1
| Project | Company | Status | Power | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AWS Cape Town RegionCape Town | Amazon Web Services | Not reported |
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Every project above is drawn from public records, filings and local reporting. Each row links to what it is based on. Statuses change, so check the source date before you rely on one. Found something wrong? Write to [email protected] and it gets fixed.