Can Africa Turn New 2Africa Subsea Cable Into Economic Value?

A major subsea cable project called 2Africa has completed its core infrastructure, creating a continuous network that links Africa with Europe, the Middle East and South Asia. Spanning 45,000 kilometres and landing in 33 countries, it is now the world’s longest subsea cable system.

The cable’s arrival marks a shift in Africa’s role in global internet connectivity. For the first time, the continent itself is central to a major global network rather than a peripheral stop. The system is backed by Meta and other global telecom partners, and it promises huge capacity for data traffic across regions.

Despite this infrastructure milestone, the economic impact on African countries will depend on what they do after the cable lands. Physical connectivity lowers the cost of moving data, but it does not automatically create digital hubs or local processing centres. Many countries still face gaps in power availability, data centre capacity and competitive network markets.

Today, less than 1 percent of the world’s data centre capacity is located in Africa, even though the continent is home to nearly 18 percent of the world’s population. Countries that want to capture more value from the cable must focus on building local digital services, improving regulatory environments, and expanding competitive network backhaul.

Several African countries have started establishing data centers and internet exchange points. South Africa, Nigeria and Egypt lead in numbers of facilities but many other countries still lack the infrastructure needed to turn transit capacity into economic activity.
African countries need to implement policies that support local data termination and establish reasonable pricing and provide open access while developing better digital ecosystems. Smaller economies need regional cooperation and investment to develop digital capacity which will attract businesses and foster local innovation.

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