Civil Rights Groups Call for Halt to South African Data Center Expansion Over Resource Concerns

Civil rights groups and society organizations in South Africa are calling for a temporary halt to the construction of new data centers until the impact on water, land, and electricity resources is fully investigated. The South African Human Rights Commission reported receiving over 250 submissions from interested groups following a call for input in May. The dispute centers on a lack of transparency regarding the resource requirements of these facilities, particularly a proposed hyperscale facility in Cape Town linked to the US company Equinix.

Concerns are heightened by Cape Town's history of water scarcity, specifically the 2018 near arrival of Day Zero. The Legal Resources Centre estimated that if conventional evaporative cooling is used, two data centers could consume approximately 4.4 billion liters of water annually, which is roughly equivalent to the daily consumption of 68,500 residents. Additionally, there are concerns regarding electricity demand, with one facility estimated to require 160MW. While Eskom has reported a power surplus during winter peak demand, critics worry this power is being prioritized for data centers over other needs.

Industry representatives and the government view the sector as a strategic opportunity. President Cyril Ramaphosa noted that South Africa hosts 70 percent of Africa's data center capacity. The Internet Service Providers Association stated that local data centers use technologies to minimize water usage and that their energy demand does not cause electricity scarcity or rising tariffs. Equinix has denied submitting a planning application for a data center in Cape Town, although municipal records show meetings with authorities and documents linking the company to the project.

Reporting on the event differs by political perspective. A center right source frames the issue as a need for clear regulatory rules to ensure transparency and protect foreign investment. A left leaning source frames the issue as a matter of social inequality, contrasting the high resource consumption of Big Tech infrastructure with the lack of basic services in nearby informal settlements.