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Seacom, a leading Pan-African subsea internet cable operator, has unveiled a major new undersea cable system — Seacom 2.0 — aimed at expanding digital infrastructure across the Indian Ocean Basin, Middle East, Mediterranean, and Southern Europe.
Announced at Submarine Networks World 2025 in Singapore, the project is positioned as a strategic move to bolster Africa’s role in the global digital and AI economy. The system addresses the soaring demand for cloud computing, artificial intelligence (AI), and real-time data services.
Seacom, which made history in 2009 with Africa’s first privately-owned subsea cable, has since evolved into a major provider of international bandwidth, cloud, and enterprise connectivity. This latest expansion marks a significant upgrade both in capacity and purpose, setting the foundation for long-term digital growth across the region.
Despite facing recent financial and operational challenges — including cable outages in the Red Sea and South Africa, and a drop in earnings (R12 million in 2025 from R55 million in 2024) — Seacom is investing heavily in the future.
Seacom 2.0 introduces a 48-fibre-pair design, optimized for AI workloads and low-latency communication, and will feature carrier-neutral landing stations. These will serve as AI communication nodes, connecting sovereign AI infrastructure in Africa with major global data centers.
The project also enhances security and resilience by introducing diversified cable routes that reduce dependency on single points and avoid politically sensitive areas. The infrastructure is expected to enable regional integration, empower landlocked countries in the SADC and East African regions, and position African nations as content and tech hubs.
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Looking ahead to 2030 and beyond, the system is engineered to support a world of 10 billion people and over 10 billion AI agents, with the Indian Ocean Basin poised to become a digital epicentre.
“Seacom 2.0 is more than a cable; it’s the infrastructure for a shared AI future,” said Alpheus Mangale, Group CEO of Seacom. “This is about enabling Africa to shape its own digital destiny with open access, regional inclusion, and resilient design.” The company has been actively working with governments and regulators to align on infrastructure investments and policy, ensuring the initiative delivers local economic and strategic value.
Seacom’s new project adopts diversified routes closer to African shores and open, carrier-neutral landing points.
