Telecommunications and managed services provider Seacom is celebrating 15 years since inception, reflecting back on the evolution of its, and Africa’s, information and communication technology and connectivity journey.

In July 2009, Africa’s first high-capacity subsea cable went live and, delivering high-speed Internet access, its 17 000-km-long cable connected Africa to Europe and Asia, through South Africa, Mozambique, Tanzania, Kenya, Djibouti, France and India, supported by landing stations along the Eastern and Southern African coasts.

“Fifteen years ago, Africa’s trajectory was forever changed with the introduction of fibre connectivity. In that time, the Seacom group has evolved to become not just a leading connectivity provider, but an industry leader in the provision of information technology (IT) and enterprise managed services,” says Seacom group CEO Alpheus Mangale.

He comments that Africa’s digital transformation has been made possible by its ever-growing network of high-capacity subsea and terrestrial fibre-optic cables.

“Today, thanks to a consistent upward trend over the last decade, Africa is home to more Internet users than ever before. Combined with a high smartphone penetration rate, Africans can connect to digital platforms and services with devices using high-speed Internet access.”

This includes essential services such as banking, healthcare and commerce, with the resulting e-commerce sector being one of the most promising sectors on the continent.

“[Further,] the work of the telecommunications industry and enterprises like Seacom is enabling local entrepreneurs and businesses to advance their digitisation agendas and connect with international markets, promoting socioeconomic growth and effectively building and reinforcing Africa’s position in the global digital economy.”

Over the years, as Seacom established all the necessary infrastructure, the company set about defining and benchmarking the connectivity experience across key African markets.

With each year, Seacom expanded and offered more products and services, he says, reflecting on the milestones over the past 15 years.

This included the launch of Internet Protocol services in 2010 and the establishment of its first point of presence (PoP) in Teraco Isando, Africa’s largest data centre, in 2011, which kick-started a new digital era in South Africa characterised by lower latency and improved performance.

In 2012, Seacom’s West Africa Cable System came online, providing a redundant cable ring around Africa, and in 2013 Seacom upgraded its submarine network capacity to boost Internet connectivity on the continent and provided 100 Mb/s Internet access to four innovation hubs in Nairobi, Kenya.

Seacom established another PoP in 2014, this time in Uganda, and in 2015 Seacom Business was established in South Africa to provide numerous IT services.

From 2016 to 2018, Seacom added peering points in Europe and Africa to boost the customer’s Internet experience, established PoPs in Rwanda and Botswana, launched Seacom Business in Kenya and acquired MacroLan, to extend fibre reach in South Africa, and FibreCo, to complete the ‘African Ring’ with 3 500 km of trans-South African fibre.

The group also upgraded its subsea cable system by 1.5 Tb/s, bringing capacity to 3 Tb/s.

By 2019, Seacom provided the first 100 G international service to a customer between South Africa and Europe and launched Seacom Business in Uganda, and in 2020 Seacom South Africa launched WonderNet, an Internet service provider that offers fibre-to-the-home, which it subsequently sold in 2023.

In the years from 2021 to 2023, Seacom acquired Hirani Telecom’s Metro Fibre Network in Kenya, which enabled the company to grow its on-net capabilities, as well as EOH Network Solutions, which helped Seacom diversify its delivery of enterprise and managed service solutions across South Africa and Africa, and partnered with British Telecoms to provide cybersecurity solutions.

“Today, alongside offering enterprise- grade connectivity, Seacom offers digital IT services, cloud and cybersecurity solutions that enable African consumers and businesses,” Mangale says, highlighting that the company started 2024 with the launch of its all-new low-earth-orbit satellite service.

“[This is] a testament to our five-year strategy adopted back in 2022 and our ambition to become a fully converged telecommunications provider.”

“With each innovation, Seacom has always adopted a strategic, integrated and cost-effective approach to how we provide connectivity and associated services,” he continues, adding that, at the same time, Seacom is always looking ahead to the future and incorporating the next generation of connectivity technologies into its business.

Fifteen years’ worth of creating new opportunities is what makes Seacom such a prolific success story for Africa’s citizenry. Seacom will continue empowering Africa for a digitally connected future. Along with the launch of our all-new website, 2024 is a year to celebrate like never before,” Mangale concludes.