South Africa’s AI factories fuel infrastructure supercycle

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South Africa faces an infrastructure supercycle driven by AI factories, not roads or rails. These windowless fortresses consume power like small cities, as explained by Daily Maverick's Lindsey Schutters.

South Africa is experiencing a major infrastructure shift towards AI factories, described as windowless fortresses that require electricity equivalent to entire small cities. This development marks a supercycle distinct from traditional builds like roads or railways. Daily Maverick journalist Lindsey Schutters details the wheeling and dealing involved in a video explainer. The piece, published on 2026-03-18, falls under Business Maverick and Maverick News categories, with keywords data centres, water, tech, AI, iPhone. Reporting credits Lindsey Schutters and Tony Carnie, editing by Anda Tolibadi, filming by Joel Seboa, production by Emilie Gambade, creative lead Malibongwe Tyilo, and sub-editing by Kevin Flynn.

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President Trump shakes hands with tech CEOs signing the Ratepayer Protection Pledge at the White House, with AI data centers symbolized in the background.
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Tech giants sign White House pledge to cover AI data center power costs amid backlash

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On March 4, 2026, leading tech firms including Amazon, Google, Meta, Microsoft, OpenAI, Oracle, and xAI signed the non-binding Ratepayer Protection Pledge at the White House, committing to fund new power generation and infrastructure for AI data centers to shield consumers from rising electricity bills. President Trump hailed it as a 'historic win,' but critics question its enforceability amid growing environmental and economic concerns.

US AI data centers face delays from tariffs and moratoriums

Nearly half of planned US data centers for this year risk delays or cancellation due to import issues from China, exacerbated by tariffs. Community opposition is fueling moratoriums, with Maine poised to halt new construction until 2027. These hurdles challenge President Trump's push for rapid AI infrastructure buildout.

South Africa enters 2026 with economic stability amid ongoing constraints

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Building on the roller-coaster business year of 2025—which saw Eskom gains, budget battles, and eventual credit upgrades—South Africa begins 2026 with enhanced macroeconomic stability, including reliable power supply and a credit rating upgrade, fostering a more predictable business environment. However, persistent issues like high unemployment, crime, and slow coalition politics limit broader recovery. This balance creates a narrow window for progress rather than a complete turnaround.

Nuclear power eyed as backbone for smart tech energy needs

Lu Tiezhong, chairman of China National Nuclear Power Co (CNNP), has proposed steady development of nuclear power to meet the surging energy demands of the AI industry and accelerate the construction of a modern energy system. In his submissions to the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference this year, he highlighted that global tech giants are increasingly turning to nuclear energy to address high-energy consumption challenges from AI computing. As a stable, reliable, and zero-carbon baseload energy source, nuclear power is positioned to support high-load, nonstop facilities like AI data centers.

China tests truck-mounted nuclear reactor prototype for AI data centres

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China is testing a prototype nuclear reactor that can be carried on a truck and generate up to 10 megawatts of energy, enough to power a medium-sized AI data centre, a leading scientist said. The reactor, in development for several years, is described as the “world’s first 10-megawatt vehicle-mounted nuclear power unit”.

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