In the digital economy today, bandwidth is infrastructure. It is expensive, competitive, and in Africa in 2026, the focus on bandwidth has entered another phase.
As of early 2025, at least 77 subsea cables were landing on the African continent, far more than a decade ago, and international bandwidth into Africa has expanded, way beyond other regions.
Total international capacity has really grown, rising several times over since 2019, with Equiano and the Meta‑backed 2Africa among the largest new systems deployed to serve the region.
These cables carry nearly all international internet traffic and form the backbone of digital economies across the continent.
However, the benefits of this growth are uneven. In many places, data costs are high, national backbone networks are patchy, and digital growth slows where connectivity is weak. Bandwidth, not apps, not investment, not policy, is impacting Africa’s digital growth.
What We Mean by ‘Bandwidth’
When people speak of internet access in Africa, they usually think of mobile phones and data plans. But that’s the last mile. The real capacity that determines speed, cost and reliability comes from international bandwidth, the long, buried fibre‑optic cables under the oceans that link Africa to the rest of the world.
These subsea cables, usually hundreds to tens of thousands of kilometres long, are responsible for carrying over 95–99% of international internet traffic globally.
The numbers are commendable:
- Africa now connects to the world via dozens of subsea cables, including legacy systems and new entrants such as Equiano and 2Africa.
- Equiano, activated in 2023, stretches thousands of kilometres along the Atlantic coast and brings a large increase in capacity over earlier cables.
- The 2Africa system, at around 45,000 km, is one of the largest subsea cable projects ever built and gives tremendous potential capacity around the continent.
Cables like these determine how much data can flow into Africa, and how cheaply.
Why More Cables Don’t Automatically Mean Affordable Internet
If bandwidth is available, why is the internet still expensive in many countries?
The short answer: the cost doesn’t stop at the shore.
International bandwidth must be distributed inland via national fibre backbones. It must compete in markets where telcos may hold strong pricing power. It must overcome regulatory challenges and local infrastructure gaps.
A few facts:
- Even in well‑connected countries, data expenses relative to income are high. Affordable data in absolute terms may still be unaffordable in local purchasing power.
- Landlocked countries depend on neighbours for subsea connections, adding complexity and expense to their Internet access.
- National fibre networks, the kilometres of cable across cities and regions, are incomplete in many places, preventing subsea capacity from lowering prices at the user level.
The result? You can have the world’s fastest‑growing international bandwidth market, but still pay among the highest prices per gigabyte relative to income in parts of Africa.
Connectivity and Business: The Actual Costs for SMEs
For small and medium enterprises, bandwidth affects everything:
- Customer access: slow or expensive data limits the ability to sell online or support customers in real time.
- Cloud use: tools for finance, collaboration and inventory depend on stable connections.
- Payments: digital payments are now standard, but they require reliable connectivity to avoid errors and downtime.
- Remote work: teams and contractors must connect efficiently, or productivity collapses.
These are not niche worries but core to doing business in 2026, especially with competitors in Asia and Latin America benefitting from cheaper, abundant bandwidth.
The Politics and Economics of Connectivity
Connectivity is political.
Countries that have diversified cable landings and strong national networking systems, such as Kenya, South Africa and Nigeria, have an advantage. They can manage outages better, negotiate capacity pricing, and attract digital investment.
However, there are still weaknesses:
- Cable cuts due to natural events or anchor strikes have caused major disruptions in West and East Africa in recent years. Repairs are expensive and slow, and outages can knock out essential services.
- Regulatory fees and licensing policies can slow new cable deployment or raise costs for operators.
Meanwhile, satellite broadband services, from providers such as Starlink and similar constellations, are expanding coverage, especially in rural and underserved areas.
Their reach is wider, but equipment prices and regulatory challenges limit their role as the core solution for mass, affordable connectivity.
Satellite Alternatives: Real Promise, Real Limits
Satellite internet has expanded in Africa, with low‑earth‑orbit systems promising connectivity beyond fibre’s reach.
But there are limitations:
- Cost is high for most small businesses and households compared with mobile or fixed broadband.
- Latency and reliability can be variable, especially without local ground infrastructure.
- Regulation and licensing differ country by country, slowing roll‑out.
Satellite is a useful complement, not a replacement for fibre‑optic bandwidth, not yet.
The Emerging Divide: Connected Hubs vs the Rest
The biggest danger is not a lack of cables but uneven development.
Where bandwidth is abundant and affordable, digital services grow:
- Businesses scale
- Innovation hubs form
- Educational and health services improve
Where it is scarce or costly, opportunities shrink. Growth plateaus. Digital ecosystems fail to take off.
Fixed broadband penetration in many African countries is still very low even with improving international capacity, a sign that infrastructure improvements alone are not enough without distribution, affordability and competition.
What Actually Makes Connectivity Work
Stretching fibre under the ocean is only step one.
To boost bandwidth for growth, the following are important:
- Competitive retail markets so prices fall
- National fibre backbones so that capacity reaches businesses and towns
- Policy that welcomes investment and protects infrastructure
- Cross‑border links so landlocked countries aren’t isolated
The Bottom Line
Bandwidth is the economic input that sets the floor for digital productivity.
Africa has come far. Its subsea connections are deep and growing. The potential is enormous. But without affordable, reliable data that reaches businesses and homes, the digital economy will not live up to its projection.
In 2026, we need to treat bandwidth as core infrastructure, like power or roads, the digital vision will stay out of reach for many.
