Civil rights groups in South Africa are urging a pause in the construction of new data centers until the country thoroughly examines how these facilities are using limited resources like water, land, and electricity. The South African Human Rights Commission, the nation's official rights watchdog, has collected over 250 submissions from various groups after it sought public input in May. President Cyril Ramaphosa has emphasized that South Africa hosts 70% of Africa’s data center capacity, viewing this as a strategic opportunity in the global digital economy and encouraging more tech companies to invest in the country’s digital infrastructure. The commission highlighted that South Africa has seen a notable increase in the development of data centers, cloud infrastructure, and related digital systems. A major concern raised during the input process is the lack of clear, consistent, and transparent information about the demands for electricity and water, land use, infrastructure needs, environmental effects, and the impact on nearby communities. One recent approval that has sparked controversy is for an Equinix hyperscale data center in Cape Town. The city narrowly avoided a major water crisis in 2018, known as "Day Zero," when it was feared that taps would run dry due to severe water shortages. Although South Africa has recently experienced a power surplus, with its main electricity provider, Eskom, reporting extra capacity during peak winter demand, civil society groups are concerned about the potential allocation of this surplus to data centers. The proposed Equinix facility alone is expected to require 160 megawatts of electricity, a significant amount. While South Africa appears to have moved past its electricity crisis, some experts caution that the call for a temporary halt to new data center approvals is not a rejection of foreign investment but rather a way to create clear regulations, particularly around transparency. Data center operators have also noted that comparing South Africa’s facilities to those in the United States is misleading, as U.S. data centers typically require much more water, land, and power. In South Africa, many data centers are using renewable energy and advanced technologies to reduce their water usage, which is significantly lower than the global average.