Intelligent CIO Africa Issue 87 | Page 12

NEWS

CRS Technologies welcomes Desmond Struwig as new CEO

CRS Technologies announced the appointment of Desmond Struwig as its new CEO , marking a renewed focus on innovation and growth . Struwig succeeds company founder Malcolm Moodie , who transitions into the role of Chairperson , maintaining a focus on strategic leadership and global expansion .

Struwig brings more than two decades of extensive experience in business and technology leadership to CRS . With a background in guiding diverse technology services businesses to success , his tenure at various global technology services companies underscores his established history of driving impactful digital , and business , transformation initiatives across various industries .
In his new capacity , Struwig will lead CRS Technologies into a new chapter of cloud software innovation , global expansion and partner ecosystem development , building upon the company ’ s 40-year legacy of delivering enterprise-ready payroll and HR solutions to more than 33 countries around the world .
“ CRS is at an exciting point in its evolution , and I am looking forward to working closely with the team to deliver our vision . This involves generating exceptional value for our clients , partners and stakeholders through cloud technology innovation , strategic partnerships and global delivery excellence .”
CRS Technologies is committed to expanding its range of market-outsourced HR , payroll and employer of record services under Struwig ’ s leadership . By advancing capabilities in these areas , CRS aims to address clients ’ evolving needs while ensuring legislative compliance and operational efficiency .
Desmond Struwig
Central to Struwig ’ s expansion strategy is the development of a strategic partner ecosystem . By forging valuable partnerships , CRS Technologies aims to facilitate localised delivery in all active regions to elevate the market availability and impact of its offerings .
One critical aspect often overlooked is payroll and HR integration . Partnering with a trusted third-party payroll software vendor such as CRS can unlock new growth avenues , differentiate their solutions , and increase client satisfaction levels .

Airtel Africa commences construction of Nxtra , its first data centre in Nigeria

Airtel Africa , a provider of telecommunications and mobile money services with a presence in 14 countries across Africa , has officially broken ground on its first data centre in Lagos , Nigeria . Nxtra by Airtel is set to be one of the largest networks of data centres in Africa , with highcapacity data centres in major cities located strategically across Airtel Africa ’ s footprint , complementing its existing edge sites .

The ground-breaking ceremony of the new data centre , situated on Lagos ’ s Victoria Island , was hosted by Airtel Africa ’ s outgoing Group Chief Executive Officer , Segun Ogunsanya and his successor ,
Sunil Taldar . It attracted key dignitaries and industry leaders including Governor of Lagos State , Babajide Sanwo-Olu ; Minister of Communications and Digital Economy , Dr . Bosun Tijani ; Heads of Federal and State Ministries and Parastatals , and Members of the National and State Assemblies , among others .
The Nxtra by Airtel data centre in Lagos will deliver 38 megawatts of total power and host high density racks that integrate the latest best practice construction to achieve 1.3 power usage effectiveness , PUE . It is expected to be live by the first quarter of 2026 .
The Lagos data centre facility will be the first of five hyperscale data centres to be developed by Airtel Africa on the continent . Combined , these data centres will offer a robust 180-megawatt capacity , distributed across 13 major data centre and over 48 edge data centres .
Coupled with Airtel Africa ’ s extensive fibre footprint , Nxtra offers secure and scalable integrated solutions to global hyper-scalers , large African enterprises , startups , SMEs and governments . Through locally available data centre capacity , speed to access digital services will improve and the cost of managing data will be reduced , thus helping power increased innovation , while supporting a new generation of African technology talent .
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