The Empower Africa Business Platform is Now Live !!!
Meta has completed the core construction of 2Africa, the subsea cable system it calls the world’s longest open-access network.
After nearly six years of work, the company says the project marks a defining moment for Africa’s digital future.
According to Meta, the system spans some 45,000 kilometres, linking Europe, the Middle East and 16 African nations, with landing points at 46 global locations.
It is backed by a consortium of major operators, including MTN Group (via Bayobab), Vodafone Group / Vodacom, Orange S.A., China Mobile International and others.
On key routes, the network is said to offer up to 180 terabits per second (Tbps) of capacity — more than all existing subsea cables serving Africa combined.
Meta says that in September 2025, the first live segments, including London, Ghana, Nigeria and South Africa, were expected to go live.
To achieve this scale, the engineering team introduced several cutting-edge technologies: spatial-division multiplexing (SDM) to double fiber capacity, undersea wavelength switching for flexible bandwidth, and a fleet of 35 offshore vessels whose combined operations total 32 years.
In remote landing areas, specialised diving and cable-burial equipment were deployed.
Beyond pure engineering, the economic implications are substantial. Research by RTI International estimates the system could contribute up to US $36.9 billion to Africa’s GDP within two to three years of going live.
Meta forecasts that faster, more reliable connectivity will fuel jobs, boost productivity, accelerate startup innovation and enable African businesses to access internet infrastructure at scale for the first time.
For partners such as MTN, 2Africa represents more than just upgraded cables and it embodies a vision of global tech companies working hand-in-hand with African operators.
Proparco, the private sector arm of the French Development Agency, has invested $5 million in Novastar Ventures’ Africa People and Planet Fund III, which has now reached a final close of $147 million.
Kenyan e-mobility firm BasiGo has secured a new investment from Proparco, the private-sector arm of France’s development finance institution, accelerating the company’s mission to expand electric bus services across Africa.
Visa has announced investments in four fintech startups that recently graduated from its Africa Fintech Accelerator program.
