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WIOCC Group, a pan-African carrier-neutral digital infrastructure provider, has secured a combined $300 million investment from the Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) and Saudi Arabia-based Vision International Investment Company (Vision Invest) to accelerate the expansion of critical digital infrastructure across Africa.
The investment was formalised through a Shareholder Subscription Agreement (SSA) signed at the LEAP 2026 Global Technology exhibition in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
The funding represents the largest capital injection in WIOCC’s history and is expected to strengthen the company’s ability to deploy data centres, expand terrestrial fibre networks and develop subsea cable infrastructure across African markets.
Funding Targets Africa’s Digital Infrastructure Gap
WIOCC said the investment comes at a critical point for Africa’s digital transformation, with demand for connectivity, cloud services and artificial intelligence infrastructure increasing rapidly.
The company plans to use the new capital to expand its portfolio of open-access digital infrastructure, including data centres, fibre networks and subsea cable systems.
The objective is to increase the availability and resilience of digital connectivity while providing the infrastructure needed by telecommunications companies, cloud providers, enterprises and other digital-service operators.
The investment also comes as Africa continues to lag behind other regions in internet adoption and digital infrastructure development.
Data cited by WIOCC from the International Telecommunication Union showed that only 35.7% of Africa’s population was using the internet in 2025, compared with a global average of 73.6%.
AFC Deepens Digital Infrastructure Push
For AFC, the investment represents another move into infrastructure that increasingly underpins economic activity across the continent.
Samaila Zubairu, President and Chief Executive Officer of AFC, said Africa needs to build infrastructure that enables it to participate more competitively in the digital economy rather than simply consume digital services.
The corporation sees fibre networks, data centres and subsea cables as increasingly important infrastructure assets, alongside traditional sectors such as transport and energy.
The investment therefore aligns with AFC’s broader mandate of supporting infrastructure development capable of driving economic growth across African markets.
Vision Invest Expands African Infrastructure Exposure
The transaction also brings Vision Invest, a Saudi Arabian infrastructure investor, further into Africa’s rapidly developing digital economy.
Its participation alongside AFC provides WIOCC with both additional capital and strategic backing as it expands its infrastructure footprint.
The partnership is expected to support the deployment of infrastructure capable of meeting growing requirements from data-intensive services, including cloud computing, artificial intelligence and digital financial services.
WIOCC’s Carrier-Neutral Model
WIOCC operates as a carrier-neutral infrastructure platform, meaning its infrastructure can serve multiple telecommunications and digital-service providers rather than being tied exclusively to a single operator.
The company’s existing shareholder base includes a number of African telecommunications companies and infrastructure institutions, giving it an established footprint across several markets.
Its shareholders include Uganda Telecom, Djibouti Telecom, Dalkom Somalia, Mozambique’s TMCEL, Zanzibar Telecom, Botswana Fibre Networks, the Lesotho Communications Authority, ONATEL, TelOne and Telkom Kenya, alongside other institutional investors.
The structure provides WIOCC with links to multiple national telecommunications markets while supporting its broader strategy of building shared infrastructure across the continent.
Data Centres and Fibre at the Centre of Expansion
WIOCC’s expansion strategy reflects the changing requirements of Africa’s digital economy.
As businesses migrate more services online and demand for cloud computing and AI applications grows, reliable high-capacity connectivity and local data-processing infrastructure are becoming increasingly important.
Terrestrial fibre provides connectivity within and between countries, while subsea cables link African markets to international networks.
Data centres, meanwhile, provide the physical infrastructure required to host cloud platforms, digital services and increasingly data-intensive applications.
WIOCC’s investment programme is therefore aimed at strengthening several interconnected layers of Africa’s digital infrastructure rather than focusing on a single technology.
Investment Comes Amid Rising AI and Cloud Demand
The timing of the transaction is particularly significant as artificial intelligence accelerates demand for computing power, data storage and high-speed connectivity.
African markets are increasingly seeking to develop local digital infrastructure capable of supporting these technologies while reducing dependence on infrastructure located outside the continent.
WIOCC said the new investment would help strengthen the digital ecosystems supporting Africa’s economic transformation.
The company’s approach is centred on open-access infrastructure, allowing multiple businesses and service providers to use the networks and facilities being developed.
A Larger Bet on Africa’s Digital Economy
The $300 million investment underscores growing investor interest in Africa’s digital infrastructure as a long-term asset class.
For WIOCC, the funding provides additional capacity to expand its infrastructure network at a time when demand for connectivity is increasing across the continent.
For AFC and Vision Invest, the deal provides exposure to a sector increasingly regarded as foundational to Africa’s economic development.
The immediate focus will be on expanding fibre, data-centre and subsea infrastructure, but the wider objective is to create a stronger digital backbone capable of supporting Africa’s next phase of economic and technological growth.
As digital adoption continues to rise, the availability of reliable and affordable infrastructure will remain central to whether African businesses and consumers can fully participate in the continent’s emerging digital economy.
