Certifications

Certified for confidence: The highest standards in data centre excellence

At Africa Data Centres, certifications aren’t just checkboxes—they’re a visible proof of trust, quality, and accountability. Across every facility, process, and service, we meet globally recognised benchmarks for security, uptime, sustainability, compliance, and operational excellence.

Our infrastructure is independently certified to international standards:

ISO 27001 for information security
ISO 9001 for quality management
PCI DSS for financial data protection
Uptime Institute Tier certifications for design resilience.

We also maintain rigorous standards in key areas:

Environmental responsibility (ISO 14001),
Business continuity (ISO 22301)
Energy efficiency (ISO 50001)
Occupational health and safety (ISO 45001)

Whether you’re a hyperscaler, financial institution, enterprise or service provider, our accreditations give you the confidence that your infrastructure is secure, compliant, and professionally managed—every hour, every day.

These certifications reflect our commitment to delivering world-class data centre services that meet the evolving needs of Africa’s digital economy.

ISO 9001 (Quality Management)

This internationally recognised standard specifies requirements for a Quality Management System (QMS) It certifies that an organisation has robust processes to consistently deliver products and services that meet customer and regulatory requirements. For clients, ISO 9001 means Africa Data Centres has formal quality controls to ensure reliable, repeatable service delivery. Holding ISO 9001 certification demonstrates ADC’s commitment to operational excellence and continual improvement of its processes.

ISO 14001 (Environmental Management)

This global standard defines criteria for an Environmental Management System (EMS). It provides a framework for managing and improving environmental performance (e.g. energy use, emissions, waste) in a systematic way. For customers, ISO 14001 certification means Africa Data Centres actively monitors and reduces its environmental impact (for example through renewable energy and efficiency programs), which can help clients meet their own sustainability goals. Africa Data Centres’ ISO 14001 accreditation underscores its pledge to responsible, eco-friendly operations.

ISO 22301 (Business Continuity)

This standard is the international benchmark for Business Continuity Management Systems. It helps organisations establish, implement and maintain plans that protect the business and its reputation in the event of a disaster or major disruption. For clients, ISO 22301 means that Africa Data Centres has proven processes to keep services running or quickly recover them during crises (power failures, natural disasters, cyber incidents, etc.). This certification assures clients that Africa Data Centres is prepared and resilient, reflecting the company’s dedication to minimising downtime and upholding service commitments.

ISO/IEC 27001 (Information Security)

This is the international standard for Information Security Management Systems. It specifies a framework for protecting sensitive data by identifying risks and applying appropriate security controls. An ISO 27001 certificate means Africa Data Centres ’s entire information infrastructure – policies, procedures, and controls – has been independently audited and meets global best practices. Clients benefit because it guarantees that Africa Data Centres rigorously manages confidentiality, integrity and availability of data (including customer data and applications). ISO 27001 certification signals ADC’s unwavering commitment to cybersecurity and data protection.

ISO 45001 (Occupational Health & Safety)

This standard sets out requirements for an Occupational Health and Safety (OH&S) Management System. It helps organisations create a safe, healthy work environment by reducing the risk of accidents and work-related injuries. For clients, ISO 45001 certification means Africa Data Centres is proactively managing workplace safety (for employees and visitors), which translates into uninterrupted operations and lower risk of service disruptions. By achieving ISO 45001 accreditation, Africa Data Centres shows clients that employee well-being and safe operations are integral to its promise of a reliable data centre.

ISO 50001 (Energy Management)

This standard provides a framework for establishing, implementing and maintaining an Energy Management System. It’s intended to help organisations continually reduce energy use, costs and greenhouse gas emissions through better energy practices. For clients, ISO 50001 means that Africa Data Centres systematically optimises its energy efficiency (for example via efficient cooling and renewable power), which can reduce costs and carbon footprint for everyone. Africa Data Centres’ ISO 50001 certification emphasises a culture of efficiency and innovation in facility design and operations.

PCI DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard)

PCI DSS is the security standard mandated by major payment card brands for any organisation that stores, processes, or transmits credit/debit card data. It defines a baseline of technical and operational controls (like network security, access controls, encryption, monitoring, etc.) to protect payment account data. For customers who handle payment transactions, Africa Data Centres ’s PCI DSS compliance means Africa Data Centres’ facilities meet stringent requirements for financial data security. This gives clients confidence that any cardholder data passing through Africa Data Centres’ networks is handled in a secure, controlled environment. It shows Africa Data Centres’ commitment to meeting industry-regulated security standards.

ISAE 3000 (Assurance Engagements – Non-Financial)

This is an international assurance standard for third-party audits of processes outside of financial statements. It provides a framework for independent auditors to verify that an organisation’s non-financial reports or controls (for example, security, privacy or compliance practices) meet stated criteria. For clients, an ISAE 3000 report means Africa Data Centres has had its processes examined by an unbiased auditor and found in compliance with relevant standards. In practice, this could cover things like data protection or GDPR compliance. Holding ISAE 3000 engagements shows Africa Data Centres is transparent and accountable about its operational controls.

ISAE 3402 (Controls at a Service Organisation)

This is an international assurance standard specifically for service organisations’ controls, especially those affecting their clients’ financial reporting. In essence, ISAE 3402 is an auditor’s report that a provider’s internal controls (IT, security, operations) are designed and operating effectively. For clients, an ISAE 3402 report means ADC has independently proven that its critical processes (IT infrastructure, security, change management, etc.) are under strict control. It’s a strong signal that Africa Data Centres ’s operations meet rigorous standards and are transparently reviewed, which reinforces trust in Africa Data Centres ’s commitment to reliable, well-managed service delivery.

Uptime Institute Tier III (Concurrent Maintainability)

Uptime’s Tier standards measure data centre reliability and availability. A Tier III-certified facility means “Each and every capacity component and distribution path … can be removed on a planned basis for maintenance or replacement without impacting operations”. In other words, Africa Data Centres’ Tier III data centres have redundant power and cooling systems so routine maintenance does not interrupt service. Clients benefit from very high uptime (typically 99.982% annual availability) and confidence that Africa Data Centres can handle scheduled upgrades or repairs without outages. Achieving Tier III certification demonstrates Africa Data Centre’s investment in robust design and its dedication to uninterrupted client operations.

Uptime Institute Tier IV (Fault Tolerance)

Tier IV is the highest level of certification. It means “an individual equipment failure or distribution path interruption will not impact operations”, and the site is also concurrently maintainable. Tier IV facilities have fully redundant systems (duplicate every component) so that even in the event of any single failure, operations continue seamlessly. This results in extremely high uptime (99.995% availability). For clients, Africa Data Centres ’s Tier IV centres mean maximum resilience – the infrastructure is built to virtually eliminate downtime risk. Africa Data Centres’ Tier IV design certification is a clear testament to world-class engineering and a commitment to “five nines” reliability for mission-critical workloads.

Accredited Tier Designer (ATD)

This Uptime Institute credential certifies that a design engineer or team has formal training in the application of Tier topology and standards. An ATD understands how to design data centres that meet specific Tier targets without common design flaws. Having ATD-qualified designers means Africa Data Centres ’s in house team is skilled at creating data centre plans that fulfil the promised reliability level. Clients benefit from knowing their facility layouts are developed by experts trained by the same organisation that sets the Tier standards. Holding ATD qualification underlines Africa Data Centres’s technical excellence and the depth of expertise behind its infrastructure.

Accredited Tier Specialist (ATS)

Also from Uptime Institute, the ATS program trains data centre managers and staff on how to operate, manage and optimise Tier-classified facilities. It covers topics like aligning data centre operations with business goals, efficient resource allocation, and Tier best practices. An ATS-designated professional in Africa Data Centres ’s team has demonstrated understanding of how to run the facility in line with Tier requirements, ensuring the design’s potential is fully realised in daily operation. For clients, ATS accreditation means the people managing the infrastructure are educated in industry best practices. It’s another layer of assurance that Africa Data Centres ’s operations team is highly qualified, which translates to more reliable, efficient service aligned with client needs.

Each of these certifications and accreditations is a proof point of Africa Data Centres’ dedication to world-class infrastructure. They guarantee that our processes (quality, security, continuity, sustainability, etc.) meet rigorous, internationally recognised standards. Collectively, they give clients confidence that Africa Data Centres’ facilities are designed, built and managed to the highest levels of performance and compliance.