Γεια σου,
Victoria from Techpoint here,
Here’s what I’ve got for you today:
- Meta completes the longest subsea cable 2Africa yet
- This startup is changing how Nigerians celebrate
- Kenya regulator walks back SIM biometric panic
Meta completes the longest subsea cable in Africa yet
Meta has just wrapped up the core infrastructure for 2Africa, the subsea cable system it’s been calling the world’s longest open-access network, and it’s honestly, it’s hard to argue. After nearly six years of work, the tech giant says the project’s completion marks a “defining moment” for Africa’s digital future and possibly the biggest connectivity upgrade the continent has ever seen.
This comes about two months after the tech giant said its subsea cable was getting close to going live in September 2025, with London, Ghana, Nigeria, and South Africa first on the list.
The cable, backed by a heavyweight consortium including MTN GlobalConnect, Vodacom/Vodafone, Orange, China Mobile International and others, stretches an insane 45,000 km. It links Europe, the Middle East and 16 African countries, landing in 46 locations globally. Meta says the system will deliver more capacity than all existing subsea cables serving Africa combined, with up to 180Tbps on key routes.
To get this done, Meta’s engineering team basically had to reinvent the limits of subsea tech. They deployed new spatial division multiplexing that doubles fibre capacity, added undersea wavelength switching for flexible bandwidth, and pushed out 35 offshore vessels for what amounted to 32 years’ worth of combined operations. In some remote areas, they even had to import specialised diving and burial equipment just to pull the cable ashore.
But beyond the engineering flex, the economic impact is huge. RTI International estimates that 2Africa could add up to $36.9 billion to Africa’s GDP within two to three years of going live. Meta says it expects the cable to fuel job creation, boost productivity, help startups innovate faster, and generally give African businesses the kind of internet infrastructure they’ve never had access to at scale.
For partners like MTN, 2Africa isn’t just a connectivity project but a signal of what happens when global tech players and African operators build together. As MTN’s digital infrastructure chief put it, this cable isn’t just connecting Africa to the world; it’s connecting the continent to its own potential.
This startup is changing how Nigerians celebrate
Anyone who has ever tried sending a gift to someone in another city knows how chaotic the process can be. You are messaging vendors, confirming locations, begging for updates, and hoping the delivery doesn’t go sideways. Eazi Gifting is trying to take all that stress off the table. With a vendor app, a user app, verified sellers, and an automated ordering system, the startup is quietly building a structure around an industry that has operated on vibes for far too long.
The idea is simple. Vendors get a proper digital storefront where they can showcase cakes, flowers, gift boxes, and other items. On the user side, finding a vendor suddenly becomes straightforward. If you are in Lagos and want to send something to someone in Abuja, you just filter by location, and the app shows you only the vendors available there. You don’t have to guess or DM five different people on Instagram to check if they can deliver a cake to a loved one on their birthday.
What makes the system really interesting is what happens after an order is placed. If a vendor declines, maybe they are overwhelmed or unavailable; the platform automatically pushes the order to another vendor in that same location. It works almost like ride-hailing. There is no need for customer support to step in, and there is no delay on the user’s end.
Eazi Gifting is still a work in progress, but the direction is clear. By steadily organising a messy, fragmented market, the startup is building the kind of infrastructure that makes gifting feel less like stress and a lot more Eazi. Find out more in Sarah’s latest story for Techpoint Africa.
Kenya regulator walks back SIM biometric panic
Remember this? Kenya proposes DNA collection for SIM registration
Kenya’s Communications Authority (CA) moved quickly yesterday to squash rising panic over supposed new biometric requirements for SIM card registration, saying the public — and some media houses — got it wrong. Per the regulator, Kenyans are not about to hand over fingerprints, DNA samples, or anything close to that just to keep their phone lines active.
So where did the confusion come from? A set of regulations published back in May included an extremely broad definition of biometric data: everything from facial scans to earlobe geometry. Per the CA, Kenyans saw the list and assumed the government intended to collect all of it. But the regulator insists that’s not true, saying the definition exists purely for legal clarity, not as an instruction to mobile operators.
At the heart of the updated rules is something far less dramatic: cracking down on SIM fraud, identity theft, and the scams that have become a daily headache for consumers. Tying every SIM card to a verified person, the CA argues, makes it much harder for criminals to hide behind anonymous phone lines.
Still, this is Kenya, a country with a long history of public mistrust over data privacy, so the CA’s reassurance isn’t landing smoothly. The agency says the regulations come with built-in safeguards under the Data Protection Act, promising audits and penalties for telcos that misuse customer data. But reports show that enforcement has been patchy in the past, raising the question: will this time be any different?
The CA also highlighted customer-focused wins, like better protection against spam, unauthorised subscriptions, and the growing push for features such as number masking on mobile payment platforms. If implemented properly, these could genuinely improve the daily experience of millions of Kenyan mobile users.
But the regulator’s biggest challenge, as mentioned three days ago, might be rebuilding trust. Publishing a highly detailed biometric definition without clear early communication was a misstep, especially in a climate where surveillance concerns are high. Whether this clarification settles the issue, or simply deepens public scepticism, will depend on how transparent the CA is in the weeks ahead.
In case you missed it
What I’m watching
Opportunities
- Team Lead, Enterprise Risk Management at Coronation Life Insurance Ltd. Apply here
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Have a superb Thursday!
Victoria Fakiya for Techpoint Africa
