Meta joins Peter Ndegwa-led Safaricom on $23 million fiber project for East Africa

Meta Platforms Inc., the parent company of Facebook, has partnered with Safaricom, East Africa’s biggest telecom operator led by Kenyan executive Peter Ndegwa, to support a new undersea fiber-optic project aimed at strengthening the region’s internet backbone.

The $23 million initiative, known as the Daraja Project, will involve laying a 4,108-kilometer high-speed cable between Mombasa, Kenya, and Oman. Once completed, the system is expected to go into operation in 2026, marking a significant milestone as Kenya’s first-ever internet cable. The project has already cleared a major hurdle after securing approval from Kenya’s environmental regulator, NEMA.

Building East Africa’s digital backbone

Meta is participating in the project through its Irish subsidiary, Edge Network Services, working alongside Safaricom, which is majority-owned by Vodacom and the Kenyan government. The cable system is designed to boost bandwidth, reduce internet costs, and improve access not only in Kenya but also in neighboring countries including Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Ethiopia.

The Daraja Project builds on Meta’s wider investments in Africa, including the 2Africa cable — the world’s largest undersea internet system now under development. For Meta, expanding internet access supports the use of its platforms — Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp — and opens the door to new opportunities in areas such as e-commerce and cloud computing.

Kenya, already a leader in mobile payments and digital services, stands to gain significantly. Faster, more reliable internet could drive growth in online trade, digital learning, healthcare, and cloud-based solutions, while further establishing Mombasa as a vital hub for global connectivity.

Safaricom’s latest financial results highlight why this investment matters. For the year ending March 2025, the group posted an 11.2 percent increase in revenue to Ksh388.7 billion ($3.01 billion), while net income rose 10.8 percent to Ksh69.8 billion ($540.5 million). Its Ethiopian unit now accounts for nearly 10 percent of revenue, with 8.8 million subscribers and 2.4 million active M-Pesa users who processed Ksh20.6 billion ($159.5 million) in transactions.

Safaricom deepens its role in regional connectivity

Founded in 1993 and based in Nairobi, Safaricom has grown into East Africa’s leading telecom and fintech provider, anchored by its wide-reaching networks and the groundbreaking M-Pesa mobile money service. Today, under the leadership of Peter Ndegwa—who holds a 0.016 percent stake, or 6.2 million shares—the company is focusing on long-term investments in digital infrastructure to strengthen its role in connecting the region.

One of the key steps in this direction is the Daraja Project. Expected to go live in 2026, the subsea cable is designed to provide faster internet speeds, greater bandwidth, and lower costs for millions of people in Kenya and neighboring countries. For Safaricom, it represents not just an upgrade in technology, but a commitment to expanding access and ensuring that the benefits of digital growth reach more communities across East Africa.