Bloomberg Businessweek published its annual Africa investor guide in October 2026, confirming a paradigm shift: data centres and energy — both renewable and fossil — have become the continent's flagship investment sectors, overtaking traditional areas such as commodities.
A $4.5 billion data centre boom
Africa's data centre market has entered an unprecedented acceleration phase. According to analysts, investment in this sector reached $4.5 billion in 2026, driven by the explosion in demand for cloud services, artificial intelligence and mobile connectivity. South Africa, Kenya, Nigeria and Egypt account for the bulk of projects, but emerging hubs such as Morocco, Côte d'Ivoire and Mauritius are gaining visibility.
Energy: the absolute priority
Without reliable energy, there are no data centres, no digitalisation, no growth. The Bloomberg guide highlights that energy — both renewables (solar, wind) and natural gas — remains the absolute priority for institutional investors. African Energy Week 2026 in Cape Town confirmed that deal rooms are attracting billions towards rural electrification and regional interconnection projects.
Critical minerals still in the top tier
The guide also confirms the place of critical minerals — cobalt, lithium, manganese, graphite — as a driver of strategic interest in Africa. The World Bank had mobilised $19 billion over five years for this sector. Mauritius, the Seychelles and Madagascar have a role to play in value transformation along the Indian Ocean minerals chain.
Why this matters
Bloomberg's annual guide is the most closely watched confidence barometer among investment funds and major global corporations. Its 2026 focus on data centres and energy will concretely direct billions of dollars towards these sectors. For Indian Ocean economic players, this is a window of opportunity — particularly Mauritius for digital services and Madagascar for minerals.