A new milestone reached by Morocco in its digital transformation toward digital sovereignty. The Kingdom, now counting 23 installations, has overtaken South Africa and established itself as the leading host country for datacenters on the continent, according to Global Finance Magazine.
In just a few years, Morocco has managed to become the African nation with the largest number of datacenters, dethroning South Africa, which had long been the sector leader.
This breakthrough is the result of a proactive policy launched in 2020, when the Digital Development Agency published a roadmap that placed digital infrastructure at the core of national priorities. Since then, several incentive measures have been introduced, notably through the National Investment Charter, which includes tax reductions and targeted exemptions to support the sector’s development.
The legislative shift of 2021 also played a crucial role. A new law requiring sensitive data to be hosted within national borders triggered a wave of digital repatriation, reinforcing the country’s technological sovereignty and driving demand for hosting infrastructure.
Today, most Moroccan datacenters are operated by local telecom players such as Maroc Telecom and Inwi, or by specialized operators like Medasys and N One. Major banks have developed their own facilities, while smaller institutions rent hosting capacity.
By region, Casablanca-Settat and Rabat-Salé-Kénitra host the majority of infrastructures due to their connectivity, energy availability, and dense economic fabric.
"The choice of a datacenter’s location depends on a complex combination of factors, ranging from proximity to economic hubs to regional infrastructure and long-term operational sustainability. The sector naturally tends to favor areas where these parameters are optimized,” said Doha Ammour, Vice President of International Development at N One Datacenters, as quoted by Global Finance Magazine.