Alpheus Mangale, group CEO of Seacom.
Pan-African submarine internet cable operator Seacom has launched a new subsea cable system across the Indian Ocean Basin, Middle East, Mediterranean and Southern Europe.
Unveiled at Submarine Networks World 2025, in Singapore, Seacom says the project marks a leap toward securing Africa’s role in the global digital economy, while addressing the explosive demand for artificial intelligence (AI), cloud and real-time data services.
Seacom is best-known for launching Africa’s first privately-owned subsea cable system in 2009. The company provides high-capacity international bandwidth and connectivity solutions that link Africa to Europe and Asia, powering internet access for businesses, mobile operators, internet service providers and governments across the continent.
Over the years, it has expanded beyond subsea cables to offer cloud, security and enterprise-grade connectivity services, positioning itself as a key enabler of Africa’s digital economy.
The launch of Seacom 2.0 comes as the subsea cable operator’s earnings are on the decline, as reflected in Seacom shareholder Remgro’s annual financial results published earlier this week.
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According to the shareholder, Seacom’s contribution to Remgro’s headline earnings amounted to R12 million (2024: R55 million).
It explains that Seacom’s results were negatively impacted by higher managed capacity costs and once-off cable repair costs following the outage on the northern segment of the Seacom submarine cable in the second half of the 2024 calendar year.
Last year, the submarine cable operator suffered multiple cable breakages in the Red Sea, which impacted connectivity across Africa.
At the time, Seacom said the location of the cable break was significant due to its geopolitical sensitivity and ongoing tensions, making it a challenging environment for maintenance and repair operations.
Seacom also experienced a subsea internet cable fault near the coastal town of Mtunzini in South Africa.
In a statement, the cable operator says in 2009, Seacom’s first privately-owned subsea cable to connect countries around the Indian Ocean slashed connectivity costs by 300% and sparked innovation in cloud services, fintech and tech ecosystems.
Now, as the region braces for unprecedented growth, home to 2.9 billion people across 33 nations, with youthful populations and a surging middle class, Seacom 2.0 aims to future-proof infrastructure for decades to come, it adds.
By 2030, networks are expected to carry over 10 billion AI agents, and Seacom 2.0 will serve as the backbone for this AI-driven revolution, says the company.
Looking further ahead, it points out that the system is engineered to support a world population of 10 billion by 2050, with the Indian Ocean Basin projected to house half of humanity.
The firm explains that Seacom 2.0 introduces a 48-fibre-pair architecture, a design tailored for high-capacity, low-latency AI workloads.
It says cable landing stations will transform into AI communication nodes, linking African nations’ sovereign AI infrastructure to global data hubs.
After recent cable disruptions exposed vulnerabilities, Seacom says the new project adopts diversified routes closer to African shores and open, carrier-neutral landing points to reduce risks and enhance security.
This design ensures uninterrupted connectivity, while reinforcing Africa’s digital sovereignty, and also a strategic decision that transforms coastal nations from passive endpoints into active custodians of global digital flow, it explains.
Seacom’s new project adopts diversified routes closer to African shores and open, carrier-neutral landing points.
According to Seacom, the system will also act as a gateway for landlocked regions, such as the SADC and East African markets, reducing reliance on single routes and positioning countries as hubs for content and applications providers.
“Seacom 2.0 is more than a cable, it’s the foundation of a shared AI-driven future,” says Alpheus Mangale, group CEO of Seacom.
“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.
“Furthermore, this project represents more than engineering; it embodies a belief that technological progress should elevate all humanity, not merely serve the interests of the few.”
As the world stands on the threshold of artificial general intelligence, Seacom ensures the Indian Ocean Basin will equally participate in shaping what comes next, the company notes.
Success, Mangale adds, hinges on strategic partnerships with governments, regulators and industry stakeholders.
Seacom says over the past year, it has engaged with leaders across existing and potential landing countries to align with their regulations, co-invest in infrastructure and maximise local value.
