Chams Holding Company Plc, (Chams Holdco), digital payments and verification firm, has created a new subsidiary which is expected to strengthen the push for Africa’s digital transformation.

The creation of the new subsidiary, ChamsCorp Plc, which took effect from February 1, was made known in a filing to the Nigerian Exchange Limited , according to an announcement.

Chams said that the new subsidiary, which is its 5^th, will give a new dimension to its more than 40 years of work in building the digital ecosystem not only in Nigeria, but across the continent and the rest of the world.

The newly created company will focus on three major aspects, namely the manufacturing of digital devices and development of digital infrastructure and services; data center design, construction and operations, and the development and implementation of AI infrastructure and intelligent systems.

It will also contribute to its parent company’s digital ID, digital verification, and trust services offering.

“For nearly four decades, we’ve enabled trust in transactions and identity. Now, we go furthe”

Chams is expanding into AI, data centre infrastructure, and intelligent systems, building the backbone for Africa’s digital transformation,” the company wrote in a LinkedIn post.

“We are not just participating in the future. We are engineering it,” the message added.

According to the Chams announcement, a decision of its Board of Directors appointed members of the pioneer board of ChamsCorp Plc, with renowned banker Mohammed Bashir Yunusa designated as Chairman.

He is described as a well-known finance expert who specializes in deal structuring, corporate and retail finance, business strategy, digital transformation, and Islamic Finance and Banking.

With more than 10 years of experience in the financial services industry, Yunusa currently serves as head of Consumer and Digital Banking for Non-Interest Banking Retail at Sterling Bank Nigeria, and will also serve as a non-executive director on the board.

“Chamscorp is designed to take our most ambitious ideas to market at speed and scale. As Africa’s digital economy evolves, we are focused on delivering transformative solutions that empower governments, businesses, and citizens alike,” Femi Oyenuga, CEO, Chams, commented on the development.

Chams has over the years played a major role in contributing to Nigeria’s digital ID ecosystem development to facilitate access to financial services.

In 2023, the company Group Chairman publicly stated that in providing such digital services to the Nigerian government, it had incurred debts estimated at $100 million and were planning to change their business model as a result.

Africa has emerged as the global frontrunner in stablecoin adoption, with Nigeria and South Africa leading the charge with the fastest adoption rate, as transactions surge across the continent.

This is according to the Stablecoin Utility Report, compiled by YouGov on behalf of fintech firm BVNK.

The study, conducted in partnership with Coinbase and Artemis, surveyed over 4 600 early adopters and crypto-natives in 15 countries across five continents.

It shows people are turning to stablecoins to move money more quickly, securely and affordably – and how this shift in behaviour is becoming a worldwide trend beyond its roots in the Global South.

Stablecoin adoption is accelerating particularly rapidly across Africa in 2026, driven by currency volatility, high inflation and the need for cheaper, faster cross-border payments, it finds.

The Stablecoin Utility Report shows that 79% of African respondents hold stablecoins − the highest ownership rate globally − while 76% say they intend to acquire them in the near future.

Nigeria and SA lead the continent in everyday stablecoin spending, highlighting a shift from holding digital dollars as a store of value, to actively using them for commerce.

The appetite to be paid in stablecoins is even stronger: 95% expressed interest in receiving income via dollar-pegged digital assets, whether for salaries, freelance work or cross-border services, according to the study.

Anthony Yim, co-founder and CEO of crypto research firm Artemis, explains: “We’re experiencing a significant behavioural shift in the way people are using stablecoins.

“Crypto natives and early adopters are fully on board with stablecoins, using them to pay and be paid. This is driving mainstream, global adoption – stablecoin supply has increased 500% over the past five years. Alongside the passage of multiple legislation initiatives in numerous countries, it’s clear we’re experiencing a tipping point.”

From hedge to household spending

Unlike in some developed markets where stablecoins are viewed primarily as a payments upgrade, African users are deploying them as practical financial tools. Key use cases include hedging against inflation, facilitating remittances and funding day-to-day purchases.

The report finds that 92% of African respondents say the condition of their national economy directly affects their stablecoin usage − a reflection of currency volatility, capital controls and high remittance costs across several markets.

Africa also recorded the highest likelihood globally (89%) of users adopting stablecoin-linked debit cards, signalling demand for tighter integration between digital assets and traditional payments.

Infrastructure, not ideology

Taken together, the findings reinforce a broader thesis: stablecoins are evolving beyond a payment method into payments infrastructure, states the report.

For individuals, this means receiving income faster and at lower cost. For businesses, it enables borderless treasury operations and supplier payments. For financial platforms, it opens opportunities to embed stablecoin wallets, debit cards and cross-border settlement into core offerings.

This demand for institutional-grade integration is evident globally, with 77% of survey respondents saying they would open a stablecoin wallet if offered by their primary bank or fintech provider.

As adoption deepens in Africa and regulatory frameworks mature in developed markets, the data suggests stablecoins are no longer a niche crypto product − but a structural layer in the future of global money movement, notes BVNK.

With its meteoric rise in data centre development and it accounting for 20% of the global population, Africa still only has 0.6% of global data centre capacity.

This is based on the 2026 Economic Report: Data Centres in Africa, published by Africa Data Centres Association (ADCA), in partnership with Rising Advisory.

The US hosts about 45% of the world’s data centres, while Africa accounts for less than 1% of global capacity.

According to the report, Africa’s active capacity stands at 360MW, with 238MW under construction and 656MW in the pipeline.

By comparison, global active capacity is at 5.5GW, with 1.5GW under construction and a development pipeline of 13.5GW.

Even if all of Africa’s announced projects materialise, says the report, the continent is projected to maintain rather than increase its global share, as hyperscale expansion accelerates elsewhere.

“This is not a catch-up cycle; it is a race to avoid deeper structural marginalisation in global compute,” notes Faith Waithaka, chairperson of ADCA.

“Capacity development in Africa must be approached with a long-term perspective, recognising that infrastructure growth will precede full utilisation as digital ecosystems continue to evolve.

“Sustainability is now a central consideration for the sector. Improving energy-efficiency and integrating renewable energy sources are essential to the viability of data centre operations. Africa is uniquely positioned in this regard, with vast untapped potential across solar, wind, hydro and geothermal resources. Leveraging these assets can support greener data centres, while strengthening energy security and long-term competitiveness.”

Africa’s data centre market is projected by Mordor Intelligence to reach $4.36 billion by 2031, with the South African market considered a “sweet spot” due to its favourable position on the African continent.

South Africa is the largest data centre market on the continent, with55 data centres already built. The country’s geographical position also makes it a strategic hub for regional and international connectivity.

Firms such as Digital Realty-owned Teraco, Vantage Data Centres, Open Access Data Centres and Equinix have expanded their data centre footprint in SA, while hyperscalers Amazon Web Services (AWS), Google and Microsoft Azure have also built local data centre facilities.

The country’s data centre momentum has been highlighted by president Cyril Ramaphosa on several occasions, notably stating that more than R50 billion in investment is expected in the local data centre space over the next three years.

The data centre capacity buildout has also resulted in government calling for accelerated cloud migration, as the state’s digital transformation efforts require greater use of cloud.

Digital rush

The report notes that the global data centre industry is booming as demand for this “digital gold” accelerates.

Valued at $243 billion in 2025, the market is projected to double by 2032, according to the World Economic Forum.

Meanwhile, UN Trade and Development reports that data centre projects accounted for over one-fifth of all greenfield foreign direct investment in 2025.

“This surge reflects the growing need for artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure, cloud services and digital networks, positioning data centres as indispensable assets driving global growth strategies,” states the report.

“Several converging trends are driving this expansion. Cloud adoption continues to shift workloads off-premises, while AI and big data are reshaping infrastructure needs.”

On the other hand, hyperscale facilities − operated by giants like AWS, Microsoft, Google and Alibaba − have doubled in number roughly every five years, with hyperscale capital expenditure rising nearly 58% year-on-year in 2024.

“Governments across Asia, the Middle East and Africa are offering incentives to attract greenfield projects, recognising data centres as foundations for innovation, skilled employment, and adjacent industries like fintech and AI. Yet Africa faces a stark challenge.

“The continent’s share is expected to expand only in line with global growth, rather than closing the gap. This opportunity has not stayed unnoticed, and investors, expecting high returns, have poured funds into increasing the sector’s capacity by approximately two-thirds.”

Legal steps

According to the report, the heightened activity in the data centre market has resulted in data sovereignty becoming policy reality.

It notes that as of early this year, over 40 African nations have enacted data protection legislation or established data protection authorities, while five additional countries are drafting laws.

Additionally, 15 countries have formalised national AI strategies.

As noted in the ADCA report, the frameworks aim to protect citizens’ rights, while providing legal certainty for investors and digital service providers.

“Governments are increasingly recognising data centres as critical national infrastructure, central to digital sovereignty, financial stability and AI competitiveness.

“As Africa’s digital economies expand, the rules governing ‘where’ and ‘how’ data is stored, processed and transferred are becoming central to economic competitiveness and state capacity.

“Data sovereignty – the principle that data generated within a country should be governed by that country’s laws – has evolved from a legal aspiration into a strategic policy lever, shaping investment patterns, infrastructure deployment and the localisation of digital value chains.”

Even with the frameworks, enforcement capacity often lags legislative ambition, states the report.

“World Bank and GSMA assessments highlight constraints linked to staffing, funding and technical expertise. Yet this enforcement gap also represents a growth opportunity: stronger, more predictable regulation is increasingly seen by investors as a prerequisite for scaling local digital infrastructure. And well-functioning regulation is increasingly functioning as a demand signal.

“Clear localisation and data-protection requirements create predictable demand for compliant, in-country infrastructure, improving bankability for data centre projects and attracting long-term capital.

“Data localisation policies are emerging as part of this broader regulatory maturation. When aligned with market realities, localisation can strengthen oversight, improve accountability and support the development of domestic data centre ecosystems.”