Namibia, Angola to link subsea telecom-cable systems

Namibia and Angola have moved to link their subsea cable systems, strengthening the west coast's digital connectivity and regional network capacity.

The move was formalised on Thursday in Swakopmund with the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU).

The agreement was signed by Telecom Namibia CEO Stanley Shanapinda and Angola Telecom CEO Adilson Miguel dos Santos, in the presence of information and communication technology minister Emma Theofelus and Angola’s telecommunications minister Mário Augusto da Silva Oliveira.

At its core, the agreement links Namibia’s Equiano subsea cable landing in Swakopmund with Angola’s planned Southern Africa regional submarine system, forming part of a broader regional network along the coast.

Rather than building separate international routes, the project is structured to integrate infrastructure, allowing Angola’s system to connect into Namibia’s existing global gateway.

Namibia brought the Equiano cable into operation in 2024 to expand international bandwidth and reduce reliance on ageing systems approaching capacity.

Shanapinda said the investment is aimed at positioning Namibia as a regional connectivity hub.

“We said that we want to be that hub that connects the rest of the region,” he said.

Efficiency

Angola is developing its own next-generation submarine cable system as part of a broader strategy to strengthen international connectivity and regional integration.

Angola’s planned cable is expected to run along the west coast and connect into Namibia at Swakopmund, where it will link to the Equiano system and route traffic to international destinations.

This approach reduces the need to build duplicate long-distance infrastructure and allows both countries to use existing capacity more efficiently while improving redundancy.

Angola has approved an investment of about N$2.6 billion for the development of the new cable system.

Officials said the project will now move into a technical phase involving feasibility studies, route definition and commercial structuring.

Theofelus said connectivity is “a critical enabler of economic growth, effective service delivery, regional integration and social inclusion”.

Digital transit

The partnership aims to address limited capacity, network congestion and the risk of disruptions linked to ageing submarine cable systems.

Oliveira said the project will “create effective redundancy of international routes, increasing the security and resilience of communications” while also reducing connectivity costs.

The agreement positions Namibia and Angola as regional digital transit hubs and is expected to expand connectivity to neighbouring countries.

Telecom Namibia board chair Patricia Hawanga said the partnership will improve cross-border integration and expand access to digital services.

“These are not technical elements alone. They are building blocks of modern economies,” she said.