JOHANNESBURG: The U.S.is beating China in a high-tech trade war over data centers in a fierce battle being waged across Africa.Major new deals have been engineered in a public-private partnership between the Trump administration and U.S.
companies in Africa, while States across the U.S.clamp down on the centers over their massive reliance on electricity.The administration’s Bureau of African Affairs has reported it has worked on 37 commercial transactions that have closed since the beginning of President Donald Trump’s second term — representing $25.67 billion in total value, with more still being reported.RESOURCE-RICH NATION PRAISES US TIES AMID WASHINGTON-BEIJING CRITICAL MINERALS RACEA rendering of BESS battery storage facilities, to be constructed in Lesotho by U.S.
company Convalt Energy, as part of a $6.2 billion deal with the government of Lesotho facilitated with the assistance of the U.S.government.
(Convalt Energy)Data centers are at the heart of today's global economy — fueling the massive demand for AI and hosting everything from video streaming to housing cloud networks.In Lesotho, with U.S.help, an American company has won a $6.2 billion deal for a data center and hydropower plant.
It is the largest transaction in this Southern African country’s history.In Gabon, the U.S.Embassy helped win $600 million in business for American companies in 2025.
And this year, the embassy in this central African country has assisted in securing a $100 million contract to supply two data centers and a gas-to-power plant, in the face of strong competition from China.Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, Frank Garcia, told Fox News Digital, "Under President Trump’s leadership, the United States is assisting U.S.companies to find new markets and flourish in Africa."The main strategic competitor in Africa is China.
While American goods traded with Africa last year were valued at $83.4 billion by the Office of the United States Trade Repres...