Safaricom and Meta Invest $23 Million in New Kenya–Oman Subsea Cable Project

Safaricom, East Africa’s telecommunications giant, has partnered with Meta’s infrastructure affiliate Edge Network Services to build a groundbreaking $23 million subsea internet cable connecting Kenya directly to Oman. The ambitious project, officially named Daraja (Swahili for “bridge”), represents a historic milestone as Safaricom’s first direct venture into subsea infrastructure ownership.

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The 4,108-kilometer cable system is designed to cut internet costs, improve access, and significantly boost resilience in East Africa’s rapidly expanding digital economy. Expected to go live in 2026, Daraja will deliver much-needed internet capacity and enhanced reliability between Oman and Kenya, supplementing the fast-growing demand in both countries.

Breaking Free from Third-Party Dependency

For Safaricom, the Kenya–Oman cable marks a strategic transformation from capacity consumer to infrastructure owner. Until now, the telecommunications leader has relied on capacity from third-party international systems such as TEAMS (The East African Marine System), SEACOM, and the EASSy cable to deliver connectivity to its customers.

By co-owning and investing in its own undersea cable, Safaricom secures greater independence and flexibility in managing bandwidth. Unlike leasing capacity from external providers, this move allows the company to set terms on pricing, expand capacity on demand, and ensure improved resilience in case of disruptions to existing routes.

The Daraja system is being designed with 24 fiber pairs—well above the eight to 16 typically deployed—allowing Safaricom to dramatically expand bandwidth for 4G, 5G, and fixed broadband users. This enhanced capacity positions Kenya to handle the explosive growth in data demand driven by digital transformation across sectors.

Strategic Timing Amid Regional Connectivity Challenges

The project arrives at a critical time for East Africa’s digital infrastructure. The region has experienced several major internet disruptions in recent years due to submarine cable failures, exposing the vulnerability of relying on limited connectivity routes.

In February 2024, a stricken vessel dragged its anchor through three cables in the Red Sea, impacting connectivity across the region. March 2024 saw four cables damaged in a suspected subsea seismic event off the coast of Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, causing widespread internet service disruptions across Africa.

The Daraja cable will provide Kenya with an additional gateway to global networks, reducing the country’s reliance on the handful of landing stations currently concentrated along the coast. This diversification is crucial for a region where undersea cables carry about 95% of global internet traffic.

Meta’s Expanding African Connectivity Empire

Meta is significantly scaling up its investments in Africa’s digital infrastructure through a comprehensive multi-billion dollar strategy. The social media giant is the lead backer of 2Africa, a 45,000-kilometer subsea cable system set to go live in 2025, which will connect 33 countries with 180 Tbps of capacity.

The 2Africa cable system represents one of the world’s largest subsea infrastructure projects, designed to provide nearly three times the total network capacity of all existing subsea cables serving Africa today. With the addition of the Pearls branch, the system will provide connectivity to 3 billion people, representing about 36% of the global population.

Beyond 2Africa, Meta is planning what will become the world’s longest subsea cable system—a 50,000-kilometer network that will link the United States, India, Brazil, South Africa, and other regions. This massive undertaking, designed to handle growing internet demand and support AI infrastructure, demonstrates Meta’s long-term commitment to global connectivity.

Comprehensive African Infrastructure Investment

Meta’s African connectivity strategy extends far beyond submarine cables. The company is improving local access through multiple complementary projects, including data centers, peering at LINX Nairobi to reduce latency, and building terrestrial fiber networks such as the 2,200-kilometer DRC route with Liquid Intelligent Technologies.

These terrestrial investments are crucial for ensuring that submarine cable capacity reaches end users effectively. The collaboration with Liquid Intelligent Technologies, which operates extensive fiber networks across Africa, ensures that improved international connectivity translates into better local access for businesses and consumers.

Meta executives project that when the 2Africa cable becomes operational, it will boost African economic activity by $37 billion in the two to three years following activation. This economic impact stems from improved connectivity’s ability to enable new business models, enhance educational opportunities, and facilitate digital financial services.

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Regional Competition and Market Dynamics

The Safaricom-Meta partnership occurs against a backdrop of intensifying competition in Kenya’s internet market. Starlink’s entry into Kenya in July 2023 has disrupted the traditional telecommunications landscape, forcing established players to innovate and expand their infrastructure investments.

Starlink currently controls approximately 0.9% of Kenya’s fixed internet subscriptions, while Safaricom maintains market leadership with a 36.5% share, followed by JTL (22.3%) and Wananchi Group (14.4%). However, the satellite internet provider’s rapid growth has prompted regulatory discussions and competitive responses from traditional operators.

Google has also announced significant African infrastructure investments, including the Umoja cable system, which will be the first subsea fiber-optic cable directly connecting Africa with Australia. The Umoja system will anchor in Kenya and travel through Uganda, Rwanda, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and South Africa before crossing the Indian Ocean to Australia.

Economic and Strategic Implications

The Daraja project represents more than infrastructure development—it positions East Africa as a strategic hub for international internet traffic. This enhanced connectivity opens new opportunities across multiple sectors, including cloud services, fintech, e-commerce, and innovation ecosystems.

For Kenya specifically, the cable strengthens the country’s position as East Africa’s digital gateway. The project builds on Kenya’s existing advantages, including a robust mobile money ecosystem led by Safaricom’s M-Pesa platform, a growing fintech sector, and government initiatives to promote digital transformation.

The investment also supports Kenya’s landlocked neighbors—Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Ethiopia—by providing additional international connectivity options. This regional impact could help reduce internet costs across East Africa while improving service reliability for cross-border digital trade and communications.

Regulatory Approval and Environmental Compliance

The project has secured necessary regulatory approvals, with Kenya’s National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) clearing the environmental and social impact assessments. NEMA has permitted Safaricom to proceed with cable installation from Oman to Mombasa, ensuring the project follows international standards and protects Kenya’s coastal ecosystem.

The regulatory approval process included comprehensive evaluation of environmental impacts, with routes extending into Tanzanian waters as well. The cable will land at Nyali beach in Mombasa, leveraging Kenya’s established position as a regional internet hub.

Technology and Capacity Specifications

The Daraja cable system incorporates advanced technology designed to handle the growing demands of modern internet usage. With 24 fiber pairs compared to the typical 8-16 pairs in existing systems, the cable offers significantly higher capacity for data transmission.

This enhanced capacity is particularly important as Kenya and the broader East African region experience rapid growth in data consumption driven by 4G and 5G network expansion, increasing fixed broadband adoption, and the proliferation of data-intensive applications like video streaming and cloud computing.

The cable’s design prioritizes resilience and redundancy, critical features given the region’s history of connectivity disruptions. Advanced burial techniques and routing strategies help protect against the anchor dragging and seismic events that have affected other submarine cable systems in the region.

Broader Industry Trends

The Safaricom-Meta partnership reflects broader trends in global internet infrastructure development. Technology companies are increasingly investing directly in submarine cable systems rather than relying solely on traditional telecommunications operators.

This shift is driven by the massive data requirements of social media platforms, cloud computing services, and artificial intelligence applications. Companies like Meta, Google, Amazon, and Microsoft have become major investors in global internet infrastructure, recognizing that network quality directly impacts user experience and service delivery.

Africa’s east coast is becoming a particular hotspot for subsea infrastructure investment. Recent developments include the PEACE cable going live in 2022, connecting Kenya with Pakistan and Europe, and the Africa-1 system scheduled to follow in 2025.

Future Impact and Digital Transformation

The successful completion of Daraja will mark a new chapter in Kenya’s digital evolution. By 2026, when the cable becomes operational, it will support the continued growth of Kenya’s digital economy, which has become increasingly important for the country’s overall economic development.

The improved connectivity will benefit multiple stakeholders: businesses will enjoy more reliable and potentially cheaper international connectivity, educational institutions will have better access to global digital resources, and government services can leverage improved infrastructure for digital service delivery.

For the broader region, Daraja represents a step toward greater digital sovereignty and reduced dependence on international infrastructure providers. As African countries increasingly recognize connectivity as critical infrastructure, projects like Daraja demonstrate the potential for regional telecommunications companies to take ownership of their digital futures.

The cable also positions Kenya to take advantage of emerging technologies and digital trends, from artificial intelligence applications that require substantial bandwidth to new forms of digital commerce and remote work that have become increasingly important in the post-pandemic global economy.

Conclusion: Building Africa’s Digital Bridge

The Safaricom-Meta Daraja cable project embodies the collaborative approach needed to advance Africa’s digital transformation. By combining Safaricom’s regional expertise and market knowledge with Meta’s technical capabilities and global infrastructure experience, the partnership creates a model for future African infrastructure development.

As the cable moves toward its 2026 completion target, it will not only improve internet connectivity between Kenya and Oman but also contribute to a more resilient, diverse, and capable digital infrastructure serving East Africa’s growing population and economy. The project stands as a testament to the potential for African telecommunications companies to move beyond service provision to infrastructure ownership, ultimately strengthening the continent’s position in the global digital economy.

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photo source: Google

By: Montel Kamau

Serrari Financial Analyst

3rd September, 2025