Africa’s Aging Information Technology Systems Could Cost Businesses

A provider of Information Technology asset management and sustainable refurbished technology solutions, says organizations that continue delaying technology refresh cycles in an effort to protect budgets may be exposing themselves to greater operational and continuity risk.

The warning comes as global hardware costs continue to rise amid ongoing supply chain disruption and increased demand for Artificial Intelligence (AI) infrastructure.

According to Gartner, memory pricing is expected to increase significantly, with Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM) forecast to rise by 125 percent and NAND by 234 percent, contributing to widespread increases in IT hardware costs globally.

Kwirirai Rukowo, Managing Executive (MEA) at Qrent, says many organizations are being forced into difficult procurement decisions as financial pressure intensifies across the market.

“Businesses are facing a growing imbalance between operational demand and available budget. Projects are being delayed, refresh cycles are being extended and procurement decisions are increasingly being driven by cost pressure rather than operational requirements. The role of IT is not to wait for perfect market conditions; it is to keep the organization running regardless of them,” says Rukowo.

“While these decisions may appear financially responsible in the short term, they often create greater long-term risk by reducing agility, delaying deployment and placing strain on ageing infrastructure.”

Qrent says refurbished technology is increasingly being adopted as a practical solution that allows organizations to maintain continuity while managing rising procurement costs and hardware shortages.

Unlike new hardware procurement, refurbished technology is less exposed to manufacturing delays, semiconductor allocation challenges and international shipping constraints, allowing businesses to deploy infrastructure more quickly and predictably.

The company says refurbished enterprise-grade devices also offer organizations greater financial flexibility by lowering upfront costs while maintaining the performance required for most business environments and workloads.

“Most organizations do not require the latest hardware specifications to maintain productivity. What matters most is having reliable technology available when the business needs it,” says Rukowo.

In addition to long-term procurement strategies, refurbished devices are increasingly being used as short-term rental and bridging solutions where new hardware lead times become impractical.

Qrent says this approach enables organizations to continue operating and scaling without placing additional pressure on already constrained capital budgets.

The company believes the broader market shift toward lifecycle extension, refurbishment and circular technology models will continue accelerating as organizations prioritize cost optimization, sustainability and operational resilience.

“Waiting for pricing or supply chains to stabilize is no longer a strategy. Businesses that adopt more flexible sourcing and lifecycle management approaches will be significantly better positioned to maintain continuity and respond to changing market conditions,” says Rukowo.

“Refurbished technology is no longer simply an alternative option. In the current market, it has become an important mechanism for enabling business continuity and smarter technology investment.”

About Qrent:
Qrent is a leading provider of sustainable Information Technology solutions specialising in the refurbishment, rental and sale of high-quality refurbished computers, laptops and enterprise IT equipment across the Middle East and Africa.

Focused on extending the lifecycle of technology through refurbishment and circular economy practices, Qrent helps organisations reduce e-waste, lower carbon impact and improve the sustainability of their technology environments while maintaining operational performance and cost efficiency.

The company provides flexible technology solutions including refurbished hardware sales, short and long-term rentals, IT asset recovery, responsible recycling and lifecycle management services designed to help organisations optimise infrastructure investment while supporting environmental objectives.

By combining sustainability with practical business value, Qrent enables organisations to adopt smarter, more resilient and cost-effective approaches to technology procurement and asset management.