At the recent African Peering and Interconnection Forum (AfPIF), Meta’s Edge Strategy Manager, Ben Ryall, noted the pressing need for stable connectivity. 

He explained how multiple simultaneous submarine and terrestrial outages earlier this year tested Africa’s internet resilience. According to him, Meta had to reroute traffic across alternative systems while maximising available bandwidth through its content delivery network (CDN) controllers.

“When multiple cuts happened, our infrastructure became constrained. We turned up additional capacity on alternative systems, but parts of our metros were temporarily disconnected. Traffic had to be served out of alternative metros, both within and outside the region,” Ryall said.

The outages revealed Africa’s heavy dependence on a limited number of undersea cables. Nigeria alone has suffered over 13,000 fibre cuts in 18 months, a sign of the fragility of terrestrial infrastructure. 

Ryall noted that Meta’s CDN controllers helped mitigate the situation by delivering traffic as locally as possible, but he admitted that extreme failures sometimes force services to be routed outside the country.

Despite these challenges, Meta is doubling down on its commitment to expand its edge presence. The company already operates more than 80 Edge Points of Presence (PoPs) across Africa, with in-network appliances at internet exchanges in Nigeria, Ghana, and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). 

These appliances ensure pictures, videos, and calls are delivered within the country, cutting latency from around 150 milliseconds to under 25 milliseconds, a critical improvement for real-time applications like video streaming and voice services.

Ryall revealed that Meta is not just patching existing gaps but also planning for the long term. “We plan to build a backbone-connected PoP (as32934) in 2026. This will enable us to deliver the full product family in-country. The 2Africa landing in the DRC makes this possible, alongside new metro and terrestrial fibre investments,” he said.

Africa, home to 18% of the world’s population but contributing just 4% of global GDP, faces a high digital divide. With its population projected to hit 2.1 billion by 2050, the demand for reliable internet will only accelerate. 

The expansion of subsea cables like Meta’s 2Africa, the world’s largest at 45,000 km, and new facilities such as Lagos’s LKK2 data centre signal a race to secure Africa’s digital future.

Stakeholders in the industry warn, however, that without more diversified paths and stronger terrestrial networks, the continent risks repeated disruptions, and investments in Africa’s digital infrastructure, such as those made by Meta, must be aware of this.

The tech giant’s strategy is to build redundancy, enhance local interconnections, and ensure that Africans can access the same level of digital experience as users in developed economies.

This year’s theme, “Where Culture Meets Connection,” reinforces Facebook as the leading space for conversations around cultural moments globally, bringing together internationally recognised African creatives from diverse disciplines, uniting to create a powerful celebration of African creativity, culture and global influence.

The three short cinematic films, premiering on the Meta Africa page, take viewers on a journey through the groundbreaking work, personal stories, and cultural influences of six of Africa’s most dynamic creative talents. 

Through powerful storytelling, the campaign unites diverse art forms of film, animation, dance, music and photography, into a single narrative of creativity and collaboration.

Meet the creators behind the campaign

Featuring some of the continent’s most popular and loved creatives from Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana and South Africa, the films explore themes of identity, creativity, and connection across the continent, celebrating not only their artistry, but their widespread influence and cultural resonance. 

Ladipoe (Rapper) x Fat Boy Animations (Animation)

• Ladipoe (Nigeria): A BET award nominee, he is a Nigerian rapper known for fusing global hip-hop sounds with African rhythms, he is a leader of Nigeria’s hip-hop revival with his authenticity and originality inspiring a new generation of artists
• Fatboy Animations (Kenya): A studio founded by self-taught animator Michael Muthiga and twice recognized by Forbes magazine as one to watch, Fatboy Animations is known for creating fun, original African stories, with the studio’s standout character, Kapinto receiving international acclaim. 

Lisa Quama (Dancer) x Gilbert Asante(Photographer)

• Lisa Quama (Ghana): A dancer and content creator celebrated for her energetic dance videos. She gained major recognition after featuring in Beyoncé’s “Already” music video alongside Shatta Wale.
• Gilbert Asante (Ghana): A creative director, photographer and multidisciplinary artist known for his vibrant visual storytelling and refined style. His work has been featured in GQ, Glam Africa and Glitz Africa.

David Tlale (Fashion Designer) x Ofentse Mwase (Videographer)

• David Tlale (South Africa): A fashion designer who approaches fashion with an eye toward bold and creative designs that fuse African heritage with modern style. His innovative designs have been showcased at major fashion events—from New York and Paris to Cape Town Fashion Weeks, whilst his designs have graced some of entertainment’s biggest events such as the Met Gala. 
• Ofentse Mwase (South Africa): A  talented South African filmmaker with over 24 international awards for his visual storytelling. His creativity shines in his unique visual effects and storytelling, often blending African culture with modern themes. 

Commenting on the launch, Kezia Anim-Addo, communications director, Africa, Middle East & Turkey (AMET), said: “We’re incredibly excited to shine a spotlight and celebrate just some of the amazing creative talent that casts a light on our African culture and connects us to the world.

“Facebook is a leading place for conversations around cultural moments, and through this campaign, we’re not only celebrating individual success stories – we’re also showcasing how culture and social media together can drive meaningful connection and inspiration.”