South African Internet Exchange Infrastructure Upgraded with Nokia and Inx-Za

The South African Internet Exchange has just gotten a major upgrade, thanks to Nokia and Inx-ZA. This upgrade aims to improve internet performance and reliability for users in South Africa.

Nokia is a well-known technology company that has been working with Inx-ZA to upgrade the South African Internet Exchange. Inx-ZA is a non-profit organization that operates the South African Internet Exchange Point.

The upgrade involves the deployment of Nokia's 7750 SRv6 Service Router, which is a cutting-edge router that supports the latest networking technologies. This router will enable faster and more reliable internet connectivity for users in South Africa.

For another approach, see: African Internet Governance Forum

Nokia has been chosen by INX-ZA to modernize its infrastructure and expand interconnection capacity in South Africa. The upgrade will enable INX-ZA to introduce new 400GE and expanded 100GE services for Internet service providers and businesses nationwide.

JINX, Africa's oldest Internet Exchange Point, has maintained uninterrupted service since 1996. It's home to INX-ZA's Internet Exchange Points in Johannesburg.

The modernization will cover INX-ZA's Internet Exchange Points in Johannesburg, Cape Town, and Durban, beginning with Johannesburg. INX-ZA plans to expand JINX from seven to ten data centers by the end of the year, deploying thirty high-capacity platforms in the first phase.

Nokia's 7250 Interconnect Routers and Service Router Operating System (SR OS) will power the new infrastructure, allowing INX-ZA to interconnect partners with 400GE links and strengthen the resilience of its backbone across multiple points of presence.

South Africa's internet backbone is getting a major upgrade with the help of Nokia's 7250 Interconnect Routers and Service Router Operating System (SR OS).

This new infrastructure will allow INX-ZA to provide 400GE and expanded 100GE services for peering partners and ISPs, capabilities not previously available in the region.

The upgrade will enhance INX-ZA's backbone performance, connecting multiple points of presence (PoPs) with 400GE links to improve scale and efficiency.

Nishal Goburdhan, INX-ZA's General Manager, emphasizes that this upgrade is about more than just adding capacity – it's about reimagining how South Africa connects.

With this modern, energy-efficient platform, INX-ZA can deliver faster, more reliable, and more sustainable interconnection services.

This initiative represents a significant milestone in future-proofing South Africa's internet backbone, offering ISPs, cloud providers, and enterprises a more robust and flexible network foundation.

Toni Pellegrino, Head of South and East Africa Sales Unit, Network Infrastructure, Nokia, highlights the importance of working with customers like INX-ZA, which is deeply committed to technical excellence and community enablement.

This upgrade sets the stage for similar transformations across Africa's legacy internet exchanges, ensuring the continent is better equipped for the next wave of digital growth.

As people consume and produce more content and businesses move their loads to the cloud, Internet Exchanges become an essential and critical part of digital infrastructure.

For another approach, see: Link Exchanges

Many Internet Exchanges in Africa still operate on outdated platforms with limited scalability and efficiency.

INX-ZA is addressing these challenges by transitioning to Nokia's next-generation solution.

This upgrade will cover INX-ZA's key Internet Exchange Points in Johannesburg, Cape Town, and Durban.

Johannesburg's JINX, Africa's oldest Internet Exchange Point, has maintained 100% uptime since 1996.

INX-ZA plans to expand JINX from seven to ten data centers by year-end.

Thirty high-performance Nokia platforms will be deployed in phase one, ensuring the exchange preserves its industry-leading availability.

By upgrading to Nokia's solution, INX-ZA is introducing energy-efficient, scalable, and high-density infrastructure.

NAPAfrica has surpassed 4.5Tbps in traffic, marking a significant achievement in Africa's digital connectivity.

This milestone reflects the growing adoption of digital services, cloud solutions, and content delivery across the continent.

NAPAfrica's ongoing growth can be attributed to Africa's vibrant internet community and rising demand for data-intensive services.

Andrew Owens, Interconnection and Peering Lead at Teraco, attributes NAPAfrica's success to the essential role of peering in accelerating digital transformation across the continent.

Recommended read: Digital Telecom Internet Exchange

There are currently 56 active Internet Exchange Points (IXPs) located in 48 cities in 36 countries in Africa.

NAPAfrica's Johannesburg IX alone accounts for 31.4% of Africa's total IXP participants, maintaining its position as the continent's largest and most influential exchange point.

NAPAfrica has expanded by over 40 peers in the past year alone, and now hosts Netflix Open Connect cache servers in Cape Town and Durban.

By caching content closer to end-users, this initiative ensures faster load times and enhances local content delivery, making the exchange more attractive to new members.

NAPAfrica's infrastructure supports the ambitions of global cloud providers and enterprises expanding in Africa, empowering organizations to deliver scalable, reliable internet services across the continent.