NEC XON has announced an Africa-wide extension of the in-country or hybrid cloud capability it recently launched with Emtel in Mauritius.
The cloud capability gives enterprises and public institutions in Mauritius (and across the continent) access to secure, locally hosted cloud infrastructure that complies with national regulations and data sovereignty requirements.
The announcement follows the official launch of the Emtel Cloud Platform in Mauritius on 21 August. Mauritius’ Minister of Information and Communication Technologies, Honourable Dr. Avinash Ramtohul; NEC XON’s General Manager of Enterprise Technology Solutions for Africa, John Dewar; and Emtel’s CEO, Kresh Goomany, were all present at the launch.
Goomany, sharing his perspective, emphasized that the platform represents a pivotal advancement for Mauritius’s ICT sector. By enabling local hosting, it reduces dependence on international connectivity and cloud services, typically located abroad. This shift ensures enhanced reliability, lower latency, stronger security, cost efficiency, and, most critically, preserves national data sovereignty.
“Cloud strategy is now business strategy—but in Africa, sovereignty and compliance remain the missing pieces,” said Dewar, General Manager of Enterprise Technology Solutions for Africa at NEC XON. “Our work with Emtel demonstrates what’s possible when cloud infrastructure is built for local needs first. We are proud to bring this model to the rest of the continent, where organizations face the same challenges around regulation, resilience, cost, and flexibility.”
Closing Africa’s Sovereignty Gap
Across Africa, regulated sectors such as banking, finance, healthcare and government must balance modernization with strict data residency requirements. Hyperscalers often do not deploy infrastructure in smaller markets, forcing businesses to host data offshore and exposing them to compliance, legal and operational risks.
With NEC XON’s hybrid cloud solution, those compromises disappear. Infrastructure is hosted under local jurisdiction, delivering both regulatory compliance and technical advantages such as lower latency, reduced exposure to international connectivity failures, and built-in geographical redundancy to ensure continuity of services.
Modular, Flexible, and Vendor-Agnostic
The NEC XON model is designed for scalability and flexibility, supporting everything from small and medium enterprises to multinational corporations and government agencies. Its modular design covers compute, networking, and security and integrates seamlessly with whichever vendor ecosystem customers already invest in.
“Our approach is completely vendor-agnostic,” explains Jurie Cordier, Key Account Executive at NEC XON. “If you are already a Lenovo, Dell or HP house, we build around your strengths. That flexibility means no vendor lock-in and the ability to scale from a modest starting point to enterprise-grade environments without limitation.”
Cost Transparency and Local Advantage
Another differentiator is cost predictability. Unlike hyperscalers that bill in foreign currencies and impose hidden charges for data ingress and egress, NEC XON’s model uses local currency pricing and transparent billing structures. This shields African enterprises from forex volatility and allows for sustainable long-term planning.
“As businesses across the continent digitize, being able to predict and manage cloud costs locally is a game-changer,” said Dewar. “This approach gives organizations clarity and control over their budgets.”
A Foundation for Africa’s Digital Future
With its secure hosting, modular design, and cost benefits, NEC XON’s in-country private cloud capability arrives at a critical moment for Africa’s digital transformation. The Mauritius launch has proven the model’s value. “Cloud is no longer optional—it’s the foundation of Africa’s digital future,” said Dewar. “By making it sovereign, flexible and cost-predictable, we are giving African organizations the platform they need to compete, innovate and grow.”
