Bayobab (MTN) & Vodacom launch Zambia-Mozambique cross-border fibre link
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Afeez Sanusi
- February 25, 2026
Southern Africa’s broadband map just got a serious upgrade. Bayobab Zambia, part of MTN Group’s digital infrastructure division, has partnered with Vodacom Mozambique to activate a new fibre interconnection at the Zambia–Mozambique border.
On paper, it’s a cross-border fibre link. Strategically, it’s a corridor that connects inland Southern African networks directly to major subsea cable systems on both coasts of the continent.
In a region where digital growth is often constrained by fragile infrastructure, that is a major upgrade.
Direct Access to the 2Africa Submarine Cable
The headline feature of the Bayobab Vodacom fibre partnership is direct integration with the 2Africa submarine cable, one of the largest subsea connectivity projects globally.
Submarine cables carry more than 95% of international internet traffic. Access to them determines how fast, stable, and affordable internet can be inland.
By linking Zambia’s terrestrial fibre network to 2Africa through Mozambique, the companies are:
- Expanding broadband capacity
- Strengthening redundancy
- Improving cross-border network resilience
For land-linked countries like Zambia, access to multiple subsea routes reduces dependency risk. If one route fails, traffic can reroute. That redundancy is not a luxury — it’s insurance for digital economies.
Positioning Zambia as a Regional Connection
Zambia’s geography has always been both a limitation and an opportunity. Without a coastline, it relies on neighbours for access to global fibre systems. But with the right infrastructure, it can function as a transit hub between inland markets and coastal gateways.
This interconnection shifts Zambia closer to that role.
By linking directly into Mozambique’s coastal infrastructure, Zambia strengthens its position as a land-linked gateway feeding connectivity deeper into Southern Africa. For enterprises operating across borders , banks, fintech platforms, logistics firms, stable regional fibre routes reduce latency and operational risk.
In practical terms, better fibre means smoother cloud services, more reliable fintech transactions, and stronger e-government systems.
Strengthening Mozambique’s Digital Backbone
This partnership enhances Mozambique’s national backbone capacity while reinforcing cross-border resilience.
Demand for data across Southern Africa as well is accelerating. Cloud computing, streaming, digital payments, and remote work are pushing bandwidth requirements higher each year. Without infrastructure upgrades, congestion becomes inevitable.
By deepening fibre interconnections, Vodacom strengthens its ability to serve rising demand while supporting broader digital inclusion goals.
Connectivity today is economic policy. Countries that expand high-speed internet access tend to see stronger digital entrepreneurship and cross-border trade.
MTN Group’s and Vodacom Ambition 2030
The project aligns with MTN Group’s Ambition 2030 strategy, which prioritises scaling digital infrastructure across Africa.
It also supports Vodacom Group’s long-term goal of connecting 260 million customers by 2030.
These targets are not just subscriber milestones. They depend on physical infrastructure fibre routes, subsea capacity, and resilient cross-border systems.
Telecom operators increasingly compete not only on pricing, but on network reliability and latency. Strategic fibre partnerships like this one reduce single-point failures and create diversified traffic pathways. In infrastructure terms, this is risk management.
The Next Level for Southern Africa Broadband
The Bayobab Vodacom fibre partnership signals a deeper trend: regional integration through digital infrastructure.
As African economies digitise, cross-border fibre networks will matter as much as roads and railways. The ability to move data seamlessly between countries underpins fintech growth, trade facilitation, remote education, and cloud-based enterprise systems.
The Zambia–Mozambique link is one segment of a larger puzzle. But it strengthens the spine of Southern Africa’s broadband ecosystem. And in today’s economy, fibre is not just cable in the ground. It is leverage.
