Africa is taking another big leap in driving its own digital future with the unveiling of a subsea cable system linking the continent securely to the rest of the world.

Seacom, which launched Africa’s first privately owned subsea cable system in 2009, says the new 25 000 km-long cable system will reach from Africa across the Indian Ocean Basin, Middle East, Mediterranean and Southern Europe.

ITWeb reports that the company intends for Seacom 2.0 to serve as the backbone for Africa’s AI-driven digital revolution.

The cable features 48-fibre-pair architecture, which is tailored for high-capacity, low-latency AI workloads, and its design capacity is for 2 000Tbit/s.

It is hoped the 20 cable landing stations, sited mostly along the eastern and southern coasts of the continent, will be transformed into AI nodes, which will link African sovereign AI infrastructure to global data hubs. Landing sites also include Lobito, Angola; Singapore; and Marseille, France.

‘This project isn’t just about connecting people; it is about ensuring Africa and its neighbours control their digital destinies. By enabling open access and regional integration, we are creating a system that is resilient, sustainable and inclusive,’ says Seacom group CEO Alpheus Mangale.

30 September 2025
Image: Unsplash