In late 2025, the 2Africa subsea cable system, the largest open‑access undersea cable in the world, was declared complete and activated, marking a pivotal milestone for both global and African digital infrastructure. The cable spans approximately 45,000 kilometres, linking over 46 landing points in 33 countries across Africa, Europe, and Asia. With a design capacity of up to 180 terabits per second (Tbps), it surpasses all existing submarine cables serving Africa combined. This immense capacity can transform connectivity for more than 3 billion people worldwide, including Africa’s 1.4 billion residents, positioning the continent as a strategic hub for global internet traffic rather than a mere transit corridor.

Yet the presence of 2Africa alone will not determine success. African states, regulators, businesses, service providers, innovators, and citizens must actively harness this infrastructure to generate value, increase productivity, and drive digital inclusion. This #TechTalkThursday article explores the cable’s conception, the consortium behind it, the role of advanced technologies, and the practical steps Africa must take to fully capture its economic potential.

2Africa, African Telcos, and Economic Potential

The 2Africa submarine cable system is a next-generation network delivering advanced broadband capacity and redundancy. Its 180 Tbps design capacity can support millions of simultaneous high-definition video streams, cloud services, enterprise networks, and other data-intensive applications.

Developed over six years by a consortium of global and African telecommunications companies, 2Africa includes Meta Platforms (formerly Facebook) as lead sponsor, China Mobile International, Orange S.A., Telecom Egypt, STC Group (center3), and the West Indian Ocean Cable Company (WIOCC). African telcos are central to the project: MTN GlobalConnect (Bayobab) led landings in Ghana and Nigeria, while Vodacom oversaw multiple South African landings. These operators not only invested financially but also contributed technically, building landing stations, backhaul networks, and carrier access points to integrate international capacity into domestic networks. The cable was manufactured and laid by Alcatel Submarine Networks (ASN), with coordination across over 50 jurisdictions requiring extensive regulatory engagement. 

The economic potential is substantial. Independent research by RTI International estimates that 2Africa could add between US$26.2 billion and US$36.9 billion to Africa’s GDP within two to three years, roughly 0.42 to 0.58 percent of the continent’s GDP at purchasing power parity. Historical precedents highlight the transformative effects of subsea connectivity: in the Democratic Republic of Congo, fibre-connected regions saw a 19 percent increase in GDP per capita; Kenya recorded an 8.4 percent rise in skilled employment; Nigeria experienced 7.8 percent employment growth in fibre-connected areas; and Tanzania observed an 18.7 percent increase in jobs following cable deployments. These trends show that improved international connectivity can drive economic growth, digital service adoption, and employment, with African telcos strategically positioned to lead this transformation through network deployment and value-added services.

What Africa Must Do Beyond Landing the Cable

A subsea cable, no matter how high-capacity, cannot generate economic transformation if domestic and regional infrastructure is weak or fragmented. Experts often describe a “transit economy” problem: data flows through Africa, but the digital value chain largely develops elsewhere. For Africa to capture the full benefit, it must think beyond transit.

• Invest in Local Data Centres and Cloud Ecosystems

Less than 1 percent of global data centre capacity is hosted in Africa, despite the continent housing 18 percent of the world’s population. Expanding local data centres and edge computing facilities will allow businesses to retain value domestically, instead of outsourcing processing abroad. Partnerships between global cloud providers and African operators can accelerate this expansion, improve data sovereignty, and support cloud-native services for enterprises and startups. 

“So you will find that our Clouds2Africa solution ,the node or the infrastructure, is located in Africa, in the African countries. We want to try and align with data sovereignty. We’re going to try to keep the data in-country and on the continent. The plan for 2025 and 2026 is to roll out more cloud infrastructure solutions locally in Africa. That is the whole idea: we want to build cloud solutions that are relevant to the African market and keep the information and data local.”

-Sudhir Juggernath, CEO, Telcables South Africa

• Strengthen Domestic Networks and Last-Mile Access

The subsea cable’s capacity is only as useful as the networks that deliver it to homes, businesses, and institutions. African governments, telcos, and infrastructure investors must expand terrestrial fibre networks, upgrade mobile broadband (4G/5G), and accelerate deployment of fixed broadband solutions. Closing the gap between potential capacity and actual access is essential to ensure urban and rural populations can benefit equally.

• Align Policies and Regulation for Digital Growth

Regulatory frameworks must support open access, fair competition, and infrastructure sharing. The 2Africa system is built on an open-access principle, meaning landing station operators provide equitable wholesale access to its capacity. Harmonised cross-border regulations, clear data protection laws, and investment incentives are also critical to stimulating a competitive digital ecosystem.

• Build Skills and Digital Human Capital

High-capacity infrastructure is ineffective without a workforce capable of leveraging it. Education systems, professional training programs, and public-private partnerships must focus on software development, network engineering, cloud computing, cybersecurity, and data science. A skilled workforce is essential to capture value from digital infrastructure and foster a thriving innovation ecosystem.  

“If Africa is to drive innovation and digital competitiveness, we need to invest in building a tech talent pipeline among our youth. This digital skills development must not only react to short-term demand across private and public sector organisations but also anticipate the future potential of our continent’s digital economy.” 

– Matimba Mbungela, Chief Human Resources Officer, Vodacom Group 

• Empower Enterprises and SMEs

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in sectors such as fintech, e-commerce, agritech, and healthtech are often the most dynamic engines of Africa’s digital economy. These businesses must be supported to adopt advanced connectivity, scale solutions, and compete globally. Subsea capacity provides the platform, but digital tools, affordable broadband, and supportive business environments are required to unlock it. 

“The real value lies in empowering people who today do not have access to digital content or digital creativity. The platforms we are building, and enabling through our carrier partners, are designed to help SMEs and entrepreneurs develop solutions at a lower cost. That is what we aim to do: connect unconnected Africans and, beyond connectivity, enable them to build businesses. That is the fundamental goal. Our passion is not only about connecting the unconnected, but about empowering them as well.” 

-Sudhir Juggernath, CEO, Telcables South Africa

Conclusion: From Transit Point to Digital Powerhouse

The arrival of the 2Africa subsea cable provides Africa with a strategic foundation for the continent’s digital economy. It is neither a guarantee of transformation nor merely a technical milestone. The real opportunity lies in building policies, investments, skills, and innovation ecosystems on top of this infrastructure.

“What I would really like to see in the next intervention—or any major initiative—is all key players at one table: governments, policymakers, regulators, industry partners, mobile operators, ISPs—everyone—working together to ask the same question: How do we make life better for every African citizen? What does it take to achieve that? Maybe it sounds ambitious, even a little idealistic, but if we can truly come together, discuss openly, and plan collectively, that is when I feel we are on the right path toward connecting Africa for a better future.” 

– Ayman Essam, Chief External Affairs Officer, Vodacom Group

If Africa leverages 2Africa purposefully, the continent can shift from being primarily a transit point in global data flows to a dynamic, competitive center of digital economic value. The opportunity is clear; the task now is to act with vision, coordination, and commitment.