By Koketso Mamabolo
AI and data services have ramped up the need for digital infrastructure capable of supporting transforming economies and Africa is not being left behind. Back in 2009, Seacom stepped onto the scene by building the first privately owned subsea cable system in the Indian Ocean Basin. Spanning 17 000 km, from Mtunzini in KwaZulu-Natal, through the Red Sea and Mediterranean, all the way to Marseille in France, the system is said to have reduced connectivity costs by 300% and contributed 6% in GDP growth.
Over a decade later the multinational ICT enabler is bracing for the future through Seacom 2.0, an ambitious subsea cable system which will run across the Indian Ocean Basin, the Middle East, the Mediterranean, and southern Europe, connecting 2.9 billion people (predominantly youth) in 33 countries.
It is estimated that the number of AI agents active in the region will number in the tens of billions and Seacom 2.0 is set to be the backbone of a new digital economy. By 2030 half of the world’s population is projected to reside in the Indian Ocean Basin region and Seacom 2.0 is designed to support a world population of 10 billion.
Connecting Africa to the world
In a release following the announcement of the project at Submarine Networks World 2025 in Singapore, Seacom highlighted the technical advancements that will prep Africa for the future:
“The new system is no ordinary cable. Seacom 2.0 introduces a 48-fibre-pair architecture, a leap in design tailored for high-capacity, low-latency AI workloads. Cable landing stations will transform into AI communication nodes, seamlessly linking African nations sovereign AI infrastructure to global data hubs.”
A major feature of Seacom 2.0 is how it’s designed with resilience in mind. Routes are closer to African shores with neutral landing points.
“This design ensures uninterrupted connectivity while reinforcing Africa’s digital sovereignty and also a strategic decision that transforms coastal nations from passive endpoints into active custodians of global digital flow.”
According to Seacom the project will boost GDP, form the foundation of much-needed smart infrastructure, empower SMEs by connecting them to the digital economy, and create a gateway to landlocked countries.
“This project isn’t just about connecting people; it is about ensuring Africa and its neighbours control their digital destinies,” stated Alpheus Mangale, Group CEO. “By enabling open access and regional integration, we are creating a system that is resilient, sustainable, and inclusive.”
Costs for the project are estimated to be between $1.5-billion to $2-billion and Seacom is aiming to reach financial close by the end of 2026 with new traffic projected to come onto the system as early as late 2029.
Before Seacom launched in 2009, Sat-3/SAFE was the only undersea cable connecting sub-Saharan Africa. Today, South Africa is a landing point for several major cable systems including the 45 000 km 2Africa cable, one of the world’s largest subsea projects which began partial activation in September backed by Meta, MTN Global Connect, Vodafone, and Orange, among others.
Along with Google’s Equiano cable, which connects South Africa to Portugal along the west coast, the continent also has the East African Submarine System (EASSy). The system went live in 2010 and features twelve landing stations along the east coast, connecting twelve landlocked countries along the way.
In 2024 Google announced Project Umoja which will connect Australia to South Africa before spreading north into Zimbabwe, Zambia, the DRC, Rwanda, Uganda, and Kenya through terrestrial fibre. Not to be left behind, Meta announced what will become the world’s largest undersea cable when completed, Project Waterworth, which will connect five continents and span over 50 000 km.
In an article detailing why integration is important, Alpheus wrote that, “Africa already has strong fundamentals with a young, tech-savvy population and high mobile penetration. But to unlock this potential, convergence is essential. The digital divide extends beyond access. It includes high costs, fragmented ICT systems, and unequal access to opportunities. By bundling services into an integrated solution, convergence lowers duplication, reduces costs, and broadens access to digital services.”
Sources: Seacom | TechCentral| Carnegie Endowment| Submarines Telecoms Forum| Tech Point Africa
