Page 16 - Issue 4 2023

PRESERVING CAPE TOWN HERITAGE

enterprises with direct access to
Platform Teraco comprising a rich
ecosystem of over 250 network
providers, global cloud on-ramps,
subsea cable systems, access to over
50 managed service providers, and
direct peering at NAPAfrica, Africa’s
largest internet exchange point. Clients
deployed in either of these facilities
can connect to AWS Direct Connect
and Microsoft Azure ExpressRoute
directly or via Teraco’s Africa Cloud
Exchange (ACX). The Great Westerford
acquisition brings an historic South
African building into the digital age,
which is now capable of supporting its
tenants’ physical and digital business
requirements.
Clients at Great Westerford benefit
from having their digital operations
and data close to the edge of their
networks, increasing performance,
reducing connectivity costs, and scaling
their digital business operations globally,
while reaching their entire connected
data communities through a single
private and secure connection.
“The sale of this prime property
was done to provide capital for our
large development pipeline. Our close
relationship with Teraco, one of many
good years standing, afforded us the
opportunity to identify the appropriate
buyer of this unique asset”, said Arnold
Maresky, CEO at Ingenuity.
Hnizdo says that Teraco launched
its first data centre facility (CT1) in
South Africa in the historic Great
Westerford building in the heart of
Rondebosch eleven years ago. CT1
was built in the basement of the Great
Westerford building, covering 200 m2
with a power requirement of 0,5 MW. The Southern Life Association of Africa acquired the historic site of Great
“Today we occupy a complete floor Westerford in Main Road adjacent to Dean Street on the boundary of
of 2500 m2 with a power rating of 5 Rondebosch and Newlands for its head office in 1955. The imposing
MW. Constructing a data centre in a three-storey building was designed not only to tone in with the charm
historic building has its own challenges, of its surroundings but to accord with the earlier history of the once
as we were only able to make changes famous Great Westerford homestead. The architecture is based on
inside the building without altering the the Cape Dutch style of dwellings found in the towns of the Western
façade. We also had to construct our Cape and the gabled farmhouses in the countryside. Features of this
own mini electrical substation, backup architecture were the spacious dignity of style, white walls, pediments,
power generation and air conditioning heavy cornice mouldings and vertical sliding windows.
independent from the building.”

16 | EngineerIT Issue 4 | 2023 SUBSCRIBE FREE