Meta has announced the completion of the core build of its 2Africa subsea cable system, a landmark achievement in one of the world’s largest connectivity initiatives.
The project, which is already expanding, aims to significantly boost internet capacity across Africa and connect the continent to the Middle East, South Asia, and Europe.
The 2Africa cable links 33 countries and is designed to deliver improved international bandwidth to over 3 billion people. Meta led the consortium behind the project, which includes major telecom and digital partners such as MTN Group (Bayobab), stc (center3), CMI, Orange, Telecom Egypt, Vodafone Group, and WIOCC. Additional segments and data centre integrations involve Bharti Airtel and MainOne (Equinix), extending the cable’s reach further.
Construction is now underway on the Pearls Extension, a major upgrade set to go live in 2026. This extension will stretch from the Horn of Africa to South Asia and across the Persian Gulf, increasing the total length of the system to approximately 45,000km.
Each segment of the cable contains 16 fibre pairs, doubling the capacity of previous subsea systems and making it the first of its scale to connect Africa directly. The system incorporates advanced technologies like undersea optical wavelength switching, enabling more flexible bandwidth management to support emerging demands such as AI and cloud services.
Meta estimates that the cable will provide a trunk capacity of 180Tbps — enough to support 36 million HD video streams simultaneously — and could contribute up to US$36.9 billion to Africa’s GDP within its first three years by fostering job creation, entrepreneurship, and digital ecosystem development.
Vodacom Group CTO Dejan Kastelic emphasized that 2Africa is more than just infrastructure; it’s a catalyst for economic growth, innovation, and social inclusion. He highlighted Africa’s demographic potential, noting that over 60% of the continent’s population is under 25, and by 2030, over 1 billion people are projected to be internet users. As mobile data consumption per smartphone nearly triples, reliable connectivity becomes crucial for unlocking opportunities in digital services, financial inclusion, and commerce.
