People walk near a canal at the Barcelona informal settlement in Gugulethu, which is located less than 2km from the site of a proposed large data centre near Cape Town International Airport, in Cape Town, on September 7, 2026. As the South African government encourages data centre development to promote "Africa's digital gateway", civil society groups have demanded a moratorium and the establishment of controls. With around 63 centres, South Africa is the most advanced data centre market on the continent, which has less than one percent of global facilities, and is keen to attract more in a sector being propelled by the AI boom. (Photo by RODGER BOSCH / AFP via Getty Images)