These undersea cables connect South Africa to the world

Nine undersea cables link South Africa to other parts of Africa and different continents, and combined, they span approximately 143,570km.

For a long time, Telkom was the dominant player in South Africa regarding controlling fibre routes out of the country via the SAT-3 and SAFE undersea cables.

However, this changed when the Seacom/Tata TGN-Eurasia submarine cable system went live in July 2009. This forced Telkom to ink a deal with Tata Communications to secure access to the Seacom undersea cable.

It is understood that Telkom didn’t have much choice in this move. It was responsible for much of the telecoms and broadcasting requirements for the Fifa World Cup in 2010, meaning it required additional international capacity and redundancy.

Despite recent capacity upgrades to SAT-3/SAFE, the fixed-line provider still needed access to Seacom’s cable to ensure it had adequate capacity for the tournament.

Before Seacom’s cable launch, wholesale connectivity providers like Internet Solutions relied on satellite backhaul as an alternative to SAT-3.

All the undersea cables landing in South Africa and brief details about each are listed below. The map images are sourced from TeleGeography’s Submarine Cable Map.

2Africa (40,500km)

The 2Africa submarine cable spans a length of 45,000km, almost entirely encircling the African continent. It landed in South Africa in December 2022.

Several entities have invested in the cable, with significant investors being China Mobile, MTN, Meta Platforms, Orange, Saudi Telecom, Telecom Egypt, Vodafone, and the West Indian Ocean Cable Company.

ACE (17,000km)

The Africa Coast to Europe (ACE) submarine cable system spans 17,000km from Penmarch, France, along the west coast of Africa, to Duynefontein, in South Africa’s Western Cape province. Its final phase, which links Europe, West Africa, and South Africa, went live in June 2021.

Twenty entities, including MTN, Orange, the Republic of Cameroon, and the Republic of Equatorial Guinea, have invested in the cable system.

Equiano (15,000km)

The Equiano submarine cable system landed at Telkom’s facility in Melkbosstrand, South Africa on 8 August 2022, with Alphabet Inc’s Google being the sole owner of the cable, which Alcatel Submarine Networks supplied.

It has several other landing points along Africa’s west coast, including Swakopmund in Namibia, Lagos in Nigeria, Lome in Togo, and Rupert’s Bay in Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha.

Seacom/Tata TGN-Eurasia (15,000km)

The Seacom/Tata TGN-Eurasia submarine cable system went live in July 2009, spanning 15,000km. When it launched, it was solely owned by Seacom and ran from Zafarana, Egypt, to Mtunzini, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

Seacom completed a deal with Tata Communications in 2020, which it said expanded its reach, allowing it to offer fast and reliable pathways between Africa, Europe, and Asia.

West Africa Cable System (14,520km)

The West Africa Cable System (WACS) was launched in May 2012, and it runs 14,520km from Seixal, Portugal, to Yzerfontein in South Africa’s Western Cape province.

A total of 18 companies invested in the cable, including Broadband Infraco, Liquid Intelligent Technologies, MTN, Telkom SA, and Vodafone.

SAT-3/WASC (14,350km)

The South Atlantic 3/West Africa Submarine Cable (SAT-3/WASC) system launched in April 2002, spanning 14,350km between Sesimbra, Portugal, and Melkbosstrand in South Africa.

It has 34 investors, with prominent companies being AT&T, China Telecom, Liquid Intelligent Technologies, Telkom South Africa, and Vodafone.

SAFE (13,500km)

The South Africa Far East (SAFE) submarine cable is considered the sister cable to SAT-3, and it spans 13,500km between Penang, Malaysia, and Melkbosstrand in South Africa’s Western Cape province.

It has been operational since April 2002, and 29 companies, including AT&T, Liquid Intelligent Technologies, Orange, T-Mobile, Telkom South Africa, and Vodafone, are invested in the cable.

EASSy (10,500km)

The Eastern African Submarine System (EASSy) cable, which covers 10,500km between Sudan’s coastline and Mtunzini in South Africa’s KwaZulu-Natal province, went live in July 2010.

Nineteen companies, such as Liquid Intelligent Technologies (formerly Neotel), MTN, Telkom South Africa, and the West Indian Ocean Cable Company, are invested in the cable.

METISS (3,200km)

The Meltingpot Indianoceanic Submarine System (METISS) cable was operational in March 2021. Spanning 3,200km from Mauritius to Umbogintwini, KwaZulu-Natal, in South Africa, it is one of the smaller submarine cables serving the country.

Investors in the cable system include Canal+ Telecom, Emtel, Telecom Malagasy, and CEB FibreNET.