2Africa: A Milestone for Africa and for Global Connectivity

 The core part of the 2Africa subsea cable system has been completed, which will connect communities, drive economic growth, and enable transformative digital experiences across Africa and beyond. 

Unprecedented Scale, Unmatched Reach 

2Africa is the first cable to directly connect East and West Africa in a continuous system. 2Africa also links the continent to the Middle East, South Asia, and Europe. With landings in 33 countries and counting, 2Africa will help enable connectivity for 3 billion people—over 30 percent of the world’s population.  

Economic Impact and Transformative Capacity 

2Africa delivers a step change in international bandwidth for Africa. On the West segment - from the UK to South Africa - the cable supports 168 Terabits per second (TBPS) of data transfer.  In the Mediterranean, shorter distances allow over 180 Tbps in these segments.  

This leap in capacity is expected to contribute up to US$36.9 billion¹ to Africa’s GDP within the first two to three years of operation, boosting job creation, entrepreneurship, and innovation hubs across the continent. 

Engineering Innovation and Overcoming Challenges 

2Africa took nearly six years to build and required constant adaptation to dynamic regulatory landscapes. The project’s success depended on strong partnerships and close collaboration with regulators and policymakers across many countries. Their support was essential in navigating requirements, overcoming challenges, and keeping the project on track. 

Building 2Africa required the consortium to push the boundaries of subsea infrastructure. This cable broadly doubles the internet capacity available to the African continent.  

2Africa incorporates undersea optical wavelength switching, enabling flexible bandwidth management and supporting evolving demands for Artificial Intelligence, cloud, and high-bandwidth applications.  

The system also deployed advanced Spatial Division Multiplexing (SDM) technology and incorporated undersea optical wavelength switching for flexible bandwidth management.  

Over 35 offshore vessels and extensive local operations were mobilised to lay the cable, with specialist equipment deployed to ensure safe and resilient installation. Cable burial depth was increased by 50 per cent, reducing the risk of accidental cuts. 2Africa was also carefully routed to avoid seabed hazards like hot brine pools and the fierce currents in the Congo Canyon.  

Partnership, Open Access, and Collaboration 

2Africa’s success is rooted in partnership. The system is the product of years of close collaboration, technical innovation, and a shared vision among  a group of consortium partners including Vodafone Group, including our Africa business Vodacom, Meta, Bayobab, center3, CMI, Orange, Telecom Egypt and WIOCC. Alcatel Submarine Networks was responsible for the manufacture and installation of the cable.  

The consortium came together with a shared goal: to build an open, inclusive network that fosters competition and supports innovation. With the Pearls extension, 2Africa will span 45,000 kilometers—more than the circumference of the earth. 

Building Connections, Empowering Progress 

The completion of 2Africa marks a defining moment for Africa’s digital future. Through collaboration, innovation, and shared purpose, our consortium has delivered the infrastructure to power new digital experiences, drive economic growth, and connect billions.