This strategic move aims to strengthen Axian’s presence in high-demand fibre markets across the region, with plans for further expansion into neighbouring countries.
Currently serving over one million homes across Africa, Axian sees East Africa as a rapidly growing broadband market driven by increasing data consumption among consumers and enterprises. The acquisition marks Axian’s entry into Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, and Malawi, with the existing operations in Tanzania set to merge with Wananchi’s business.
Wananchi operates under two main brands: Zuku, which targets residential consumers, and Simbabet, serving enterprise clients with last-mile networks and an extensive fibre backbone. Under Axian’s ownership, Wananchi will benefit from increased investment to scale its fibre-to-the-home (FTTH), Software-Defined Wide Area Network (SD-WAN), and cloud connectivity services across the region.
“Wananchi Group’s network, customer relationships, and local expertise align perfectly with our ambition to be a leader in broadband connectivity across Africa. This acquisition builds on our existing presence in East Africa and opens new opportunities in Kenya and Uganda,” said Hassan Jaber, CEO of Axian Telecom.
“Our goal is to build a leading pan-African broadband provider, and Wananchi’s addition is a significant step forward. We are committed to bringing high-speed internet to millions more Africans. Our recent performance — doubling our fixed broadband base and achieving strong revenue and EBITDA growth — demonstrates the strength of our model,” said Bertrand Lacroix, CEO of Axian Telecom Fibre.
Already operating in Tanzania, Madagascar, Comoros, Senegal, and Togo, Axian Telecom Fibre will leverage Wananchi’s assets to enhance operational scale, investment capacity, and cross-market expertise. The company assures that business continuity and employment will be maintained during the transition, supporting its vision of expanding high-quality digital connectivity across Africa.
