How the Equiano cable has shaped SADC's connectivity landscape
Three years after the Equiano subsea cable landed in Swakopmund, Namibia in June 2022, pan-African telco and network services provider Paratus Group has leveraged its capacity to reshape the connectivity landscape across Southern Africa.
As the landing partner for Equiano in Namibia, Paratus was uniquely positioned to drive regional digital transformation. The Google-backed Equiano cable, which runs from Europe to Africa’s west coast, delivers vast bandwidth and ultra-low latency.
Since its arrival, Paratus has extended its network into neighbouring and landlocked nations via cross-border terrestrial fiber infrastructure, significantly improving connectivity, redundancy, and resilience across the SADC region.
Since Equiano landed, Namibia’s internet penetration has increased from around 51% to nearly 64% of the population by adding approximately 640 000 more Namibians online, which represents an increase of 48% in online users in just three years.
In Botswana, Paratus completed the 840 kilometres Botswana Kalahari Fibre project in 2022, linking Gaborone to the Equiano landing station in Namibia. Built entirely by local contractors, the project created around 100 jobs and established the country’s first express fiber route to Europe. As a result of these interventions, Botswana’s internet penetration has grown from 77% to over 81%, making it among the highest in Africa.
Through Equiano, Paratus has created alternative data routes, enhanced market flexibility, and delivered faster, more stable connections. Latency has dropped to as low as 125 milliseconds between Johannesburg and Lisbon, giving businesses and consumers improved access to digital services and cloud platforms.
Paratus Group Executive Chairman, Barney Harmse, said since the cable landed, network coverage expanded.
“It is all about the network. Increased capacity translates to better speeds and access, which drives economic growth and digital inclusion. Equiano and our continued investment in building Africa’s quality network are making that possible.”
The Equiano cable remains a cornerstone of the Paratus Group’s expansion strategy in the SADC. “Landing Equiano was not just a milestone, it was the start of a new era,” added Harmse.
As the landing partner for Equiano in Namibia, Paratus was uniquely positioned to drive regional digital transformation. The Google-backed Equiano cable, which runs from Europe to Africa’s west coast, delivers vast bandwidth and ultra-low latency.
Since its arrival, Paratus has extended its network into neighbouring and landlocked nations via cross-border terrestrial fiber infrastructure, significantly improving connectivity, redundancy, and resilience across the SADC region.
Since Equiano landed, Namibia’s internet penetration has increased from around 51% to nearly 64% of the population by adding approximately 640 000 more Namibians online, which represents an increase of 48% in online users in just three years.
In Botswana, Paratus completed the 840 kilometres Botswana Kalahari Fibre project in 2022, linking Gaborone to the Equiano landing station in Namibia. Built entirely by local contractors, the project created around 100 jobs and established the country’s first express fiber route to Europe. As a result of these interventions, Botswana’s internet penetration has grown from 77% to over 81%, making it among the highest in Africa.
Through Equiano, Paratus has created alternative data routes, enhanced market flexibility, and delivered faster, more stable connections. Latency has dropped to as low as 125 milliseconds between Johannesburg and Lisbon, giving businesses and consumers improved access to digital services and cloud platforms.
Paratus Group Executive Chairman, Barney Harmse, said since the cable landed, network coverage expanded.
“It is all about the network. Increased capacity translates to better speeds and access, which drives economic growth and digital inclusion. Equiano and our continued investment in building Africa’s quality network are making that possible.”
The Equiano cable remains a cornerstone of the Paratus Group’s expansion strategy in the SADC. “Landing Equiano was not just a milestone, it was the start of a new era,” added Harmse.
