As Africa accelerates its digital transformation, the need for reliable, efficient, and sustainable energy solutions has become increasingly critical. From data centers and industrial facilities to healthcare and infrastructure projects, businesses and governments across the continent are seeking technologies that can support growth while ensuring energy efficiency and resilience.

Socomec , a global leader in critical power solutions, has been at the forefront of meeting these demands. With decades of expertise in power switching, monitoring, energy storage, and uninterrupted power supply systems, Socomec provides innovative solutions designed to support Africa’s evolving energy landscape. Their technologies enable reliable, sustainable, and high-performance operations across sectors, from data centers to industrial facilities, even in the most challenging environments.

To gain deeper insight into Socomec’s strategy and vision for Africa, TechAfrica News’s Chief Editor and Founder Akim Benamara spoke with Francesco Pagin, Africa Territory Manager at Socomec. In this discussion, he shared the company’s growth journey on the continent, key areas of opportunity, and the innovations that are shaping the future of energy and critical infrastructure in Africa.

Could you provide an overview of Socomec and highlight the company’s growth trajectory over the past several years?

First of all, just a couple of words about Socomec and the incredible growth and experience we had in the past six or seven years. Socomec is a manufacturing company with a specific focus on technologies to support critical energy applications. We have seen tremendous growth globally across different segments such as data centers, healthcare, infrastructure, and buildings.

Socomec has also seen great opportunity to look deeper into market potential across these segments in Africa. Why Africa? Because according to Socomec, and this is a vision that I share with the company, Africa is the last, but at the same time, the most dynamic frontier when it comes to energy innovation and digital infrastructure. The continent is focusing not just on development, but on doing so sustainably. If you put these topics together, this represents our focus and roadmap for the next many years.

Socomec’s direct presence in Africa is relatively recent, particularly in Johannesburg for the English-speaking region. We see a long runway ahead that will help us achieve our goals.

What do you see as the key areas of opportunity for Socomec in Africa?

When we talk about critical infrastructure, everyone immediately thinks of data centers, and rightly so. If you look at the density of data centers in Africa compared to other continents, there is a big difference between potential and current usage. There is huge potential in the data center space.

However, critical infrastructure goes beyond data centers. We are also talking about healthcare, where Africa has significant potential for building new hospitals and clinics. Healthcare OEMs are expanding across the continent because they recognize this potential. Industrial facilities are another major opportunity. 

We have the dream of seeing Africa become a crucial manufacturing hub for  global economies.  Despite the challenges to some of the African countries are currently facing due to global economy headwinds, we believe that industrial growth will prevail.

How is Africa advancing in the development of smart cities and energy innovation?

Looking at the data center space, the services these centers provide are multiplying—from basic telecommunications to cloud services. When we talk about connectivity and the need for it, Africa is at the forefront.

We know how many 4G and 5G users there are across the continent, regardless of economic performance. Smart cities are another area of focus. Cities such as Cape Town, Kigali, Casablanca and Tangier are already in early stages of development to become smarter. Africa is a large continent with vast distances to cover, but the trend toward smarter cities has begun and will continue for many years.

One challenge is ensuring the smart use of energy. Power may be available, but It’ s not always used in the most efficient way. There is growing interest in reducing energy waste and improving efficiency. The reduction of carbon footprint will also become a key priority in the future.

This context motivated Socomec to invest in Africa. Our goal is to become a trusted energy leader for the continent, providing the latest technology in a reliable and sustainable way.

Could you share some of Socomec’s latest innovations for data center solutions?

This year, we introduced two new models in our power conversion range, specifically UPS (uninterrupted power supply) systems. The first is the DELPHYS XM, and the second is the MODULYS XM. While both share the “XM” designation, they are distinct models. Both are new products launched to the African market in 2025.

The DELPHYS XM is particularly notable because it targets the top tier of our customer base—medium to large-scale data centers. These data centers have very strict performance requirements. They want to make a one-time investment that is protected over time, so they seek high-quality UPS systems with exceptional performance and top energy efficiency to minimize waste caused by additional components in the electrical installation.

The DELPHYS XM is designed to withstand harsh electrical environments. Data centers operate with high voltages and currents, and the UPS must remain reliable even with unstable grids—a requirement that applies globally, not just in Africa.

Another critical factor for data centers is footprint. Space is valuable, and they prefer to dedicate more square footage to racks for storage and processing rather than bulky UPS units. The DELPHYS XM addresses this by providing high performance while maintaining a very compact footprint, making it suitable for high-density installations.

In short, the DELPHYS XM is a high-performance UPS capable of protecting critical loads in data centers. It ensures reliability even during brief power interruptions and is designed to handle harsh operating conditions while reducing the required installation space.

What sets the MODULYS XM system apart from other UPS solutions?

The MODULYS XM is the second model we introduced this year. What makes it special is already implied in the name: it is a modular UPS system.

Modular means that individual power modules can be added to increase the capacity of a specific UPS system. What sets the MODULYS XM apart is that multiple units can be connected in parallel, allowing the power capacity to reach up to two megawatts, which is substantial for a data center environment.

These modules are not only easy to add, they are also truly hot swappable. Hot swappability is a significant benefit for the customer because it requires minimal experience and no tools to add or replace a module. You simply slide it out and slide in the new module. Specialized tools are not needed, and safety is ensured through connectors that isolate the module from the UPS’s power infrastructure. The total replacement and firmware alignment process takes no more than two minutes.

This means that as long as a spare module is on site, any potential downtime/MTTR is reduced to nearly zero during maintenance.

Another standout feature of the MODULYS XM is the integrated static transfer switch. A static transfer switch is an ultra-fast electronic switch capable of transferring from one power source to another seamlessly. Socomec’s static transfer switch is recognized globally for its reliability and seamless operation, making it a key component of the MODULYS XM.

Overall, the MODULYS XM is designed for a service life exceeding 20 years. It is reliable, requires minimum maintenance for critical applications, and is built to withstand the specific conditions of the African market.

Socomec is known for its Digiware system. Could you explain its functionality and benefits?

Digiware[FS8]  is an energy monitoring solution composed of multiple components. On the hardware side, it includes modules, measurement components, gateways, and displays. These displays show real-time energy consumption and highlight any potential distortions in the electrical system. Digiware is multi-circuit, allowing a modular installation to measure several loads from a single device.

A single module can monitor up to six single-phase loads or up to two three-phase systems. Its compact design makes it highly effective for customers, as it occupies minimal cabinet space. Installation is simple, using standard RJ45 or RJ12 cables rather than specialized wiring.

The solution is essentially plug-and-play. Optional openable current transformers make it suitable for retrofitting existing systems. Digiware is compliance ready.

In the energy efficiency sector, standards are strict, and Socomec maintains a leadership role in certification. This ensures that all products offered to users, customers, and partners are backed by third-party certificate, demonstrating reliability and performance. The solution also meets international regulations. Digiware has been established for several years and has successfully completed projects across Africa, not only in developed markets. Its primary objective is to help customers reduce energy costs by identifying waste and addressing its root causes.

It also supports emission’s reduction. With growing concerns about global emissions and their impact on economies and future generations, Digiware provides actionable insights. Additionally, it enhances operational transparency, giving customers precise data on energy consumption and efficiency improvements, rather than relying on general estimates.

This solution, being easy to install and implement, provides additional operational transparency. It allows users to quantify energy usage and identify areas of waste. By understanding the sources of waste, they can take corrective actions to improve their energy efficiency and elevate their overall operational performance.

Energy storage is a key focus for Socomec. Could you describe your approach and strategy in this area?

Socomec has been active in energy storage for over a decade. Energy storage is a significant business today, with many players involved. In this sector, batteries are a central component, and Socomec chose to specialize in a specific area of energy storage first.

Our primary focus is on the commercial and industrial sector, rather than large utility-scale projects pursued by many other companies. By concentrating on this space, we have developed extensive experience and technology tailored to these applications. Today, we offer a comprehensive, all-in-one solution that includes battery systems for commercial and industrial use.

We also provide our smart Power Control System (PCS), a technology developed by Socomec leveraging our expertise in power conversion. This enables us to recommend energy storage systems for various functions, including load shifting, peak shaving, and backup power, ensuring reliable electricity at all times.

While other backup solutions such as solar PV and diesel generators have long been available, the ability to integrate our energy storage systems with these existing installations is crucial. Customers do not need to remove prior investments; our hybrid integration capabilities maximize the value of existing solar or diesel systems.

Many of our energy storage systems are deployed in remote areas. Socomec solutions offer remote monitoring of system performance and alarms through our PCS and Battery Management System (BMS) software. This allows users to effectively manage systems on site, even when they are not physically present, thanks to connectivity and remote monitoring capabilities.

We participated in the 2025 edition of Solar & Storage Live Africa in Johannesburg and plan to attend the 2026 edition with a larger stand. We aim to reconnect with customers from this year and share new developments in energy storage. Following last year’s success, we need additional space to welcome more consultants and EPCs to explore the latest innovations from Socomec in this field.

Given Africa’s power challenges, such as unreliable infrastructure and vandalism, how can third-party solutions like yours help bridge the gap in the short term?

One of the key functions of energy storage is exactly that: the ability to store energy when it is available and deploy it when it is not. Across Africa, we are seeing more utility-scale and commercial solar projects emerging regularly. Of course, certain criteria must be met to complete these projects, but the trend is growing steadily. Africa is blessed with abundant sunlight across the continent, providing a virtually limitless source of energy potential.

Having a solar installation allows us to make good use of energy during the day. However, to fully leverage this potential, it is essential to have a reservoir to store excess energy for times when the sun is not shining or the grid is unavailable.

Our ability to assist customers comes from our experience in both power switching and monitoring, as well as in power conversion. An energy storage solution is not simply a rack of batteries and a converter; it must be highly reliable. Customers will often configure their operations to depend entirely on the battery energy storage system to perform as expected.

This is where we have an advantage. Socomec has a long tradition of designing solutions that are reliable and built for the harshest environments. This expertise applies across all our offerings, from power switching and monitoring to our UPS business and energy storage systems.