Meta has announced the completion and activation of the core 2Africa subsea cable system — a landmark infrastructure project set to reshape global connectivity and significantly expand broadband access across Africa, the Middle East, South Asia, and Europe.
Developed in partnership with Bayobab (MTN Group), Orange, center3, Telecom Egypt, Vodafone Group, and WIOCC, the 2Africa system is now the world’s longest open-access subsea cable and the first to link East and West Africa in a continuous loop. Over the next decade, the network is expected to benefit more than 3 billion people, including Africa’s 1.4 billion population.
A Major Boost for Africa’s Internet Capacity
The activation of 2Africa marks one of the most substantial upgrades to the continent’s digital infrastructure in history. According to Meta, the cable brings more subsea capacity than all existing African cables combined, enabling faster, more reliable, and more affordable internet access.
The system is designed to enhance performance for consumers, businesses, cloud services, and AI-driven applications — laying the foundation for the next wave of digital transformation across the region.
“The completion of 2Africa is a monumental achievement—not just for Meta, but for the entire continent,” said Kojo Boakye, Vice President for Public Policy (Africa, Middle East & Türkiye) at Meta. “This project shows what’s possible when vision and collaboration come together to unlock new opportunities for millions.”
Meta says the project underscores its long-term commitment to Africa’s digital economy, especially as governments and enterprises increasingly adopt cloud computing and AI-based services.
Cross-Border Collaboration at Unprecedented Scale
The 2Africa consortium combines public- and private-sector expertise across 33 countries, demonstrating the scale required to accelerate digital inclusion and economic competitiveness.
With the system now live, millions of users across Africa are expected to see improvements in:
- Internet speeds
- Network reliability
- Access to online services
- Support for cloud and AI applications
Stronger connectivity is also expected to support innovation, boost productivity, and improve cross-border digital trade.
The launch event was attended by ministers and regulators from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Tanzania, Côte d’Ivoire, South Africa, Mozambique, Angola, Kenya, and Nigeria, among others.
“We built 2Africa to be open by design so more providers can connect and more people can benefit,” said Alex-Handrah Aime, Vice President, Network Investments at Meta. “It’s engineered for scale, reliability and to power the next wave of cloud and AI experiences.”
Nigeria’s Growing Subsea Cable Hub
The 2Africa system continues Nigeria’s emergence as a regional connectivity hub. In February, Bayobab and MTN Nigeria announced the cable’s landing at Mopo-Onibeju, Lekki, Lagos.
Nigeria now hosts several major subsea cables, including:
- MainOne
- SAT-3
- Glo-2
- ACE
- WACS
- Equiano
- NCSCS
These links connect the country to global internet backbones and support its fast-growing digital economy.
