The first cable to connect East and West Africa in a single, continuous system, linking the continent with the Middle East, South Asia and Europe, has been completed, laying the foundation for transformative new AI experiences, economic growth and digital inclusion.

The Meta-led 2Africa subsea cable system, currently the world’s longest open-access subsea cable system, spans three continents and more than 33 countries, connecting three-billion people, including Africa’s 1.4- billion-strong population, over the next decade.

The 2Africa system, architected and led by Meta in collaboration with partners including Bayobab (MTN Group), Orange, center3, Telecom Egypt, Vodafone Group and WIOCC, brings more subsea capacity than all of Africa’s subsea cables, improving Internet speeds and providing greater reliability and expanded access to digital services. 

“The completion of 2Africa is a monumental achievement – not just for Meta, but for the entire continent. This project demonstrates what is possible when vision, investment and collaboration come together – unlocking new opportunities for millions of Africans, empowering businesses and helping to accelerate economic growth,” says Meta Africa, Middle East and Türkiye public policy VP Kojo Boakye.

“We are proud to be the architects of this transformative infrastructure and remain deeply committed to investing in Africa’s digital future, in partnership with the ecosystem.”

“Under the surface, it is engineered for scale, reliability and to power the next wave of cloud and AI experiences. Above the surface, it is about everyday impact, from a student downloading a textbook in seconds to small businesses and entrepreneurs reaching new customers online. 2Africa lays the groundwork for inclusive growth today and the innovations we have not imagined yet,” adds Meta network investment VP Alex-Handrah Aime.

Taking nearly six years to build, which required pushing the boundaries of subsea infrastructure, 2Africa delivers a step change in international bandwidth for Africa, says MTN Group Digital Infrastructure CEO Mazen Mroué.

On the West segment, from England to South Africa, the cable supports 21 Tb/s per fibre pair, with 8 fibre pairs on the trunk, totalling 168 Tb/s.

In the Mediterranean, shorter distances allow for more than 30 Tb/s per fibre pair, and with 16 fibre pairs, the system can deliver over 180 Tb/s in these segments.

The cable is double the capacity of older systems. It incorporates undersea optical wavelength switching, enabling flexible bandwidth management and supporting evolving demands for AI-Enabled Data Centre, cloud and high-bandwidth applications.

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

Advanced Spatial Division Multiplexing technology was deployed and undersea optical wavelength switching for flexible bandwidth management incorporated.

The cable burial depth was increased by 50% and carefully routed the cable to avoid seabed hazards like hot brine pools and the Congo Canyon turbidity currents. 

Over 35 offshore vessels and extensive local operations were mobilised, with specialist equipment deployed to ensure safe and resilient installation across 50 jurisdictions. 



At a 2Africa celebration ceremony, held at Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa in Cape Town in November, Meta recognised consortium members for their outstanding collaboration in delivering 2Africa, including Mroué; ASN sales and marketing VP Paul Gabla; Vodacom CTO Dejan Kastelic; Orange MEA networks transformation and cost optimisation Philippe Mendribil; and WIOCC CEO Chris Wood.