Local cloud provider Routed has rebranded to Evoila Africa following its acquisition by German-based multinational IT solutions firm and Broadcom partner, Evoila. This effectively positions the South African cloud company as Evoila’s African subsidiary.
Andrew Cruise, MD of Evoila Africa, says the move follows sweeping changes to VMware’s global partner ecosystem after its acquisition by Broadcom. This includes a significant reduction of the partner ecosystem from over 6 000 to approximately 100 authorised partners worldwide.
This left many former VMware Cloud Service Providers (VCSPs) without a direct path forward, adds Cruise.
Routed elected to sell its business to Evoila and become its African subsidiary, positioned to deploy hyperlocal cloud infrastructure.
“The formation of Evoila Africa is positioned as a stabilising force in a disrupted market, offering a compliant, locally operated pathway for VMware cloud continuity across the continent,” explains Cruise.
In early January 2026, Routed released a statement announcing its acquisition by Evoila. It said the deal would strengthen its ability to scale across Africa and expand its reach in delivering enterprise-grade cloud infrastructure.
As Evoila’s African subsidiary, Evoila Africa will extend its existing VCFaaS (VMware Cloud Foundation as a Service) capability under an authorised Broadcom-aligned structure.
VCFaaS is built on Broadcom’s modern private cloud software stack and includes compute infrastructure, VMware licensing and support, design and deployment services and ongoing platform operations.
According to Evoila, for African VCSPs that did not make the final partner cut, this provides a mechanism to continue delivering VMware-based cloud services without relinquishing customer ownership or local service control.
Under the Evoila Africa model, partners retain their customer relationships, local infrastructure remains in-country, VMware licensing and compliance are aligned with Broadcom’s requirements and infrastructure, and platform layers are co-managed.
“This effectively preserves VMware cloud services in African markets at a time when many providers globally have been forced to exit or re-platform,” says Cruise.
Hyperlocal cloud in Africa
Evoila lays claim to the term "hyperlocal cloud" to describe a hyperscaler-class cloud deployed locally on private cloud infrastructure.
Evoila Africa will provide authorised VMware licensing, deploy and operate the VMware Cloud Foundation stack, co-manage backend infrastructure with local partners and enable partners to continue taking VMware cloud solutions to market.
The subsidiary believes this model is particularly relevant for large African enterprises and service providers that need to retain ownership of their data centres, platforms and customer environments, while remaining compliant with evolving regulatory frameworks.
Cruise says that rather than centralising cloud services offshore, hyperlocal cloud keeps infrastructure, governance and operations rooted within national borders.
Data sovereignty
According to Cruise, data sovereignty has moved from a compliance checkbox to a board-level priority across African markets: “Countries such as South Africa, Kenya and Nigeria increasingly emphasise data residency, local jurisdiction and legal governance of digital assets. In this environment, hyperlocal cloud architecture ensures that infrastructure is owned or co-owned locally and operated fully under domestic legal frameworks.”
Evoila Africa says hyperlocal clouds across the continent enable organisations to keep data physically and legally local, mitigate exposure to foreign legal claims, avoid cross-border data export risks and align with national regulatory requirements.
“In a post-VMware acquisition landscape characterised by uncertainty, sovereignty becomes not only a compliance requirement but a strategic differentiator,” says Cruise.
He notes the company plans to use its hyperlocal cloud model in Africa “to stabilise VMware service delivery, preserve partner ecosystems and enable long-term efficiencies – all while keeping African cloud infrastructure firmly under African control”.
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