How subsea cables are powering Africa’s digital future

Africa’s coastlines are becoming gateways to a digital future. A wave of new subsea cables is reshaping connectivity across the continent - but experts warn that keeping them running, and ensuring their benefits reach inland, remains the real test.

Subsea, undersea, marine cables - whatever you call them - are in the midst of a boom as companies race to connect the next billion people. Billions of dollars have poured into emerging markets, particularly across Africa, where major new cables are being funded by global tech giants including Google, Microsoft and Amazon.

The 2Africa system - the world’s longest at 45,000km - connects Europe, Africa and the UK, backed by Meta, Orange, Vodafone Group and China Mobile. Soon it will be surpassed by Meta’s Project Waterworth, a new 50,000km system linking the US, Brazil, South Africa, India and other key regions.

The scale of this investment is unprecedented, says Didier Dillard, CEO of Orange Marine, who told Developing Telecoms that this surge is different from the early-2000s bubble. “The use cases are there, and the demand for connectivity is rampant,” he said.

Ismail Patel, Senior Analyst for Enterprise Technology and Services at GlobalData, agreed, noting that once-sparse regions for subsea systems have seen “exponential growth,” driven largely by low wholesale bandwidth costs and the rise of AI and cloud computing.

In Ghana, Ethel Cofie, CEO of Edel Tech Consulting, said the effects are already visible. “Wholesale prices are falling, but the challenge now is ensuring that this connectivity reaches users - the last mile.”

Rising tides, uneven shores

According to the GSMA, Sub-Saharan Africa continues to add around 30 million new mobile users each year, yet some 400 million people remain offline - half the global total. Patel described the region’s subsea expansion as a “crescendo effect,” driven by hyperscalers entering what was once the domain of telecom consortiums.“

We don’t expect a slowdown,” he said. “Africa remains far less dense in cable infrastructure than Europe or the US.”

Keeping the cables alive

As more systems land on African shores, maintaining them falls to companies like Orange Marine, whose fleet of ships is constantly at work between continents. The firm is modernising its fleet with two new vessels under construction in Sri Lanka, due in 2028 and 2029.

Dillard said demand for subsea maintenance has doubled in recent years as spending in the sector surges. “Resilience is key for the global network,” he said. “You achieve that through diversity - having multiple cable systems in place.”

The work is not without obstacles. Subsea engineers often face extreme conditions, particularly off the Congo River, where a vast 800-metre-deep canyon and mudslides can damage cables. Climate change, Dillard added, is making such repairs more frequent due to floods and undersea landslides.

The last nautical mile

While wholesale prices drop, Africa’s remaining challenge is turning global capacity into local access. “We now have connectivity and affordability,” said Cofie. “Fixing the last mile is the final step.”

She noted that African tech firms and operators are already responding with companies like MTN building data centres to reduce dependence on foreign cloud providers and keep digital value chains on the continent.

Sovereign waters

Despite the optimism, concerns over digital sovereignty are growing. Patel warned that governments are uneasy about the increasing dominance of US tech companies in African infrastructure. Legislation such as the US CLOUD Act, which allows US authorities to access data stored abroad by American firms, has amplified those fears.

He said some regions are following Europe’s lead by exploring local cloud and satellite solutions, though full independence remains limited due to reliance on US and Chinese technologies in early-stage infrastructure builds.

Cofie said several African governments are beginning to act, pointing to new data localisation laws in Ghana and Kenya. “The goal is to keep data here - to protect it, and to monetise it locally,” she said.

Dillard agreed that government participation is essential, noting that the EU’s model of co-funding subsea systems - covering up to 60% of project costs - could strengthen oversight and ensure completion of key infrastructure.

Now, bring me that horizon

Africa’s subsea boom marks a turning point for the continent’s digital evolution. With hyperscalers, operators and governments investing heavily in new cable systems, the foundation for long-term connectivity is being laid.

But the challenge now lies beyond the shore - in securing resilient infrastructure, bridging the last mile, and safeguarding digital sovereignty. The success of Africa’s digital future will depend not only on the cables beneath the sea, but on the choices made above it.

More Articles you may be Interested in...