Evolution of Undersea Cables Connecting Africa: Key Milestones and Impact

Africa’s digital transformation is closely tied to a lesser-known but crucial piece of infrastructure: undersea fiber-optic cables. These cables carry over 95% of international internet traffic. For Africa, the rollout of these cables transformed the continent from an isolated, high-cost connectivity zone to a region with growing global bandwidth and digital potential.

Here’s a breakdown of how undersea cables evolved around Africa, the major milestones, and the real-world impact on internet access and affordability.

Pre-2000s: Satellite Dependency and the Bandwidth Bottleneck

Before undersea cables, most African countries relied heavily on satellite connections for international communications. These links were:

• Expensive

• High-latency (slow for data transmission)

• Limited in bandwidth

This made internet access in Africa slow, unreliable, and unaffordable for most people. A single Mbps could cost hundreds or even thousands of dollars per month.

2001: SAT-3/WASC/SAFE – Africa’s First Major Undersea Cable

🌍 Coverage: West Coast (Portugal to South Africa), extending to Asia

The SAT-3/WASC/SAFE cable was the first major step in connecting sub-Saharan Africa to the global internet via fiber.

• Countries connected: Senegal, Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroon, Gabon, Angola, South Africa, among others.

• Challenges: SAT-3 was controlled by a consortium of telecom monopolies. High prices and lack of competition meant benefits were slow to reach users.

Impact: While SAT-3 was a breakthrough technically, its real impact was limited by lack of open access and restrictive pricing.

2009: SEACOM and TEAMS – Breaking the Monopoly

🌍 Coverage:

• SEACOM: Connects South and East Africa to Europe and India

• TEAMS: Links Kenya to the UAE

These two cables marked a turning point:

• SEACOM was privately funded and focused on open access.

• TEAMS was a public-private partnership backed by the Kenyan government.

Impact:

• Dramatic drop in wholesale bandwidth prices—up to 90% in some regions.

• Explosion in internet use, especially in Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania.

• Entry of new ISPs and better competition.

2010–2012: EASSy and WACS Expand Capacity

🌍 EASSy (Eastern Africa Submarine System):

• Connected nine East African countries from Sudan to South Africa.

🌍 WACS (West Africa Cable System):

• Ran from South Africa to the UK, boosting bandwidth for West Africa.

Impact:

• Broadened access to international capacity.

• Reduced reliance on SAT-3.

• Helped countries like Mozambique, Madagascar, and Namibia get better internet performance.

By 2012, most African coastal countries had at least one undersea cable connection—many had two or more.

2018–2023: The Megaprojects – Equiano and 2Africa

🌍 Equiano (Google):

• Announced in 2019, went live in segments by 2023.

• Runs from Portugal to South Africa, branching into Nigeria and Namibia.

• Uses space-division multiplexing (SDM) for 20x more capacity.

🌍 2Africa (Meta/Facebook, China Mobile, Orange, etc.):

• One of the largest subsea cable projects in the world.

• Will circle the African continent, linking 33 countries across Africa, the Middle East, and Europe.

• Expected completion: 2024–2025.

Impact:

• Massive increase in capacity.

• Improved redundancy—if one cable goes down, others can carry the load.

• Direct cable landings in many previously under-connected countries.

Current Landscape (2025)

As of 2025, Africa is served by over 15 major undersea cables, including:

• SAT-3/WASC/SAFE

• SEACOM

• TEAMS

• EASSy

• WACS

• MainOne

• ACE

• Equiano

• 2Africa (partially live)

Most coastal countries now have access to multiple landing points, increasing resilience and market competition.

Key Impacts of Undersea Cables on Africa

1. Cheaper Bandwidth

Wholesale internet costs dropped by up to 95% in some regions compared to satellite-era prices.

2. Faster Internet

Latency improved dramatically, especially for traffic routed to Europe and Asia. This made streaming, cloud services, and online learning viable.

3. More Competition

Multiple cables meant multiple providers could enter the market, forcing incumbents to lower prices and improve service.

4. Tech Ecosystem Growth

Lower connectivity costs enabled the rise of tech hubs, startups, and digital services in places like Nairobi, Lagos, and Cape Town.

5. Regional Data Centers

With reliable international connections, local data centers became feasible. Africa’s data center footprint is now growing rapidly, especially in South Africa, Kenya, and Nigeria.

6. Better Redundancy

Multiple cables reduced the risk of total outages. When one cable is cut (due to ship anchors, earthquakes, etc.), others can pick up the slack.

Remaining Gaps and Challenges

Despite all this progress, a few issues remain:

• Landlocked countries still depend on neighbors for international access, which raises prices and vulnerability.

• Inland fiber networks (from the coast to rural or interior regions) are underdeveloped in many countries.

• Monopolistic control still exists at some landing stations, especially in countries with weak regulation.

• Political instability and corruption can delay or derail infrastructure projects.

Looking Ahead: The Future of Africa’s Subsea Connectivity

The next few years will likely focus on:

• Expanding 2Africa to full operation.

• Strengthening terrestrial backhaul to distribute international capacity more widely.

• Encouraging open access policies at landing stations to level the playing field.

• Adding more direct international routes, such as to Latin America or Southeast Asia, reducing dependency on European exchanges.

Conclusion

Undersea cables changed everything for Africa’s internet. From being tethered to costly satellite connections, the continent now enjoys access to some of the fastest, highest-capacity infrastructure available. While challenges remain—especially in inland and rural areas—the cable revolution has laid the foundation for a digitally connected Africa.

The evolution of these cables is not just a technical story. It’s a story about inclusion, opportunity, and the potential for over a billion people to access the global digital economy.

Related posts:

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