META shines a spotlight on Bayobab and other partners for the 2Africa Subsea Cable milestone
MTN Group's digital infrastructure company, Bayobab, was one of the consortium partners recognized for its pioneering role at a celebratory event held in Cape Town last night to mark the completion of the world's longest subsea cable infrastructure project. This achievement is a significant milestone in global connectivity, highlighting MTN's role as a digital ecosystem enabler, empowering Africans with hope, dignity, and opportunity.
The 2Africa initiative, led by META, is a groundbreaking subsea cable project that establishes a continuous link between East and West Africa, extending its reach to the Middle East, South Asia, and Europe. This ambitious undertaking took nearly six years to complete, navigating 50 jurisdictions and adapting to ever-changing regulatory landscapes and technical challenges. The project's success is a testament to the collaborative efforts of the 2Africa consortium partners, who shared a vision to connect communities, drive economic growth, and foster transformative digital experiences across Africa and beyond.
"For MTN, 2Africa is more than just a cable; it's a declaration of intent, showcasing what can be achieved when the world's technology leaders and Africa's champions unite with a shared purpose," said Mazen Mroué, CEO of MTN Group Digital Infrastructure, accepting the award on behalf of MTN and Bayobab. "This project proves that global scale and African leadership can combine to build the infrastructure that will shape Africa's growth story. Yes, we're connecting Africa to the world, but most importantly, we're connecting Africa to its vast potential."
2Africa brings a quantum leap in international bandwidth for Africa. In the West segment, from England to South Africa, the cable supports an astonishing 21 Tbps per fibre pair with 8 fibre pairs on the trunk, totaling 168 Tbps. In the Mediterranean, shorter distances allow for more than 30 Tbps per fibre pair, and with 16 fibre pairs, the system can deliver over 180 Tbps in these segments. This substantial increase in capacity is projected to contribute up to $36.9 billion USD to Africa's GDP within the first two to three years of operation, fostering job creation, entrepreneurship, and innovation hubs across the continent.
With landings in 33+ countries and counting, 2Africa will enable connectivity for 3 billion people, over 30 percent of the world's population. This unprecedented scale is a testament to the collective efforts of stakeholders across the ecosystem. Mroué emphasized, "At MTN, we view connectivity as the foundation of Africa's digital future. Through Bayobab, we bring world-class infrastructure capability and the reach of a network serving over 300 million subscribers across 16 African markets. Our Bayobab footprint, spanning nearly 135,000 kilometers of cable, extends beyond these markets, accelerating Africa's Digital Transformation and AI adoption."
Building 2Africa required pushing the boundaries of subsea infrastructure. The cable boasts double the capacity of older systems, incorporating undersea optical wavelength switching for flexible bandwidth management and supporting evolving demands for AI-Enabled Data Centre, cloud, and high-bandwidth applications. Advanced SDM (Spatial Division Multiplexing) technology was deployed, and undersea optical wavelength switching was integrated for flexible bandwidth management. The cable burial depth was increased by 50 percent, and its route was carefully planned to avoid seabed hazards like hot brine pools and the Congo Canyon turbidity currents, optimizing both capacity and reliability.
Over 35 offshore vessels and extensive local operations were mobilized, with specialist equipment deployed to ensure a safe and resilient installation across 50 jurisdictions. 2Africa's success is rooted in partnership. The consortium, led by Meta, included Bayobab, center3, CMI, Orange, Telecom Egypt, Vodafone Group, and WIOCC.
The 2Africa celebration ceremony took place at the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa in Cape Town.
