Africa Data Centres, the data center division of pan-African technology group Cassava Technologies, has received Microsoft's ExpressRoute Metro peering designation for its JHB1 facility in Johannesburg, the first such designation on the continent.
ExpressRoute Metro is a Microsoft Azure networking architecture that routes a single private connection through two separate peering locations within the same city, building in redundancy for mission-critical workloads without requiring two independent circuits. The Johannesburg designation gives South African enterprises a direct, private path to Microsoft Azure that does not depend on a single physical point of failure.
JHB1 becomes the second ExpressRoute peering location within the Johannesburg metro area, creating the local pair required for Metro-level redundancy to function. Liquid C2, Cassava's cloud and cybersecurity division, holds an on-net presence in both Johannesburg locations, a position the company describes as unique among local providers, and will use that footprint to deliver a managed service called Secure CloudConnect. The offering combines private Azure connectivity with integrated cybersecurity controls, aimed at organizations navigating regulatory requirements around operational resilience, business continuity and data protection.
"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.
Vukani Mngxati, CEO of Microsoft South Africa, described the designation as aligned with the country's broader approach to cloud infrastructure.
"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," Mngxati said. "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."
Johannesburg joins a select group of cities globally where the Metro architecture is available. For Cassava, the designation extends a model the company calls
"One Cassava" — using the data center infrastructure of Africa Data Centres alongside Liquid C2's managed cloud and security capabilities as a combined offering rather than separate products. Secure CloudConnect will be delivered as a fully managed service, with Liquid C2 handling connectivity, security posture and compliance management through a single provider relationship.
