WIOCC Group has secured $300 million in new investment from Africa Finance Corporation and Vision International Investment Company, giving the pan-African infrastructure operator fresh capital to scale data centers, terrestrial fiber and subsea connectivity. The companies signed a Shareholder Subscription Agreement at the LEAP 2026 Global Technology exhibition in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The transaction arrives as demand for cloud computing, artificial intelligence and digital services pushes African markets toward a larger infrastructure build-out. WIOCC’s strategy places connectivity assets at the center of that expansion rather than treating data centers as standalone computing facilities.

WIOCC Targets Data Centers, Fiber and Subsea Assets

Chris Wood, group CEO of WIOCC, said: “Africa is uniquely positioned to capitalize on the next phase of global digital growth. This investment enables WIOCC to execute its long-term growth strategy by accelerating data center deployment and consolidation, expanding the continent’s open-access terrestrial fiber footprint and investing strategically in new subsea assets, strengthening Africa’s digital infrastructure platform and enhancing connectivity between the continent and key international markets.’ The capital therefore gives WIOCC room to expand across three interconnected layers of the digital stack: facilities, terrestrial networks and international links.

Its approach matters because growing AI and cloud workloads require more than additional racks; they require dependable routes between users, data centers, cloud platforms and global networks. WIOCC says its latest investment will strengthen that broader infrastructure platform while extending its reach into additional African markets. Founded in 2008, WIOCC participates in the EASSy, EIG, WACS, TE North, SEA-ME-WE 5 and 2Africa cable systems. The group also owns Open Access Data Centres (OADC), which operates hyperscale and edge facilities across South Africa, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Nigeria. WIOCC currently cites more than 40 data centers across its wider platform, alongside more than 115,000 kilometers of terrestrial fiber and more than 200,000 kilometers of subsea systems.

AFC and Vision Invest Back Africa’s Connectivity Push

Samaila Zubairu, president and CEO of AFC, said: “The Africa we build must be connected, competitive and equipped to create value from the digital economy, not only consume it. Our investment in WIOCC will expand the open-access digital backbone African businesses and communities need to integrate, innovate and compete globally.” That framing gives the deal significance beyond a conventional infrastructure financing round. AFC is positioning fiber, data centers and subsea capacity as foundational economic infrastructure, linking digital connectivity to Africa’s ability to build businesses around the emerging AI economy. The opportunity remains substantial: only 35.7% of Africa’s population used the internet in 2025, compared with 73.6% globally, according to figures cited by WIOCC from the International Telecommunication Union.

Gulf Capital Enters WIOCC’s Next Growth Phase

Omar N. Al-Midani, Vision Invest president and CEO, added: “WIOCC Group has built one of Africa’s leading digital infrastructure platforms, and we are proud to partner together with AFC and WIOCC’s existing shareholders as the company enters its next phase of growth.” Vision Invest’s participation also brings a Gulf-based infrastructure investor deeper into Africa’s digital economy. The transaction combines that capital with WIOCC’s existing shareholder network, which includes Uganda Telecom, Dalkom Somalia, Djibouti Telecom, Mozambique Telecom (TMCEL), Zanzibar Telecom (Zantel), Botswana Fibre Networks, Lesotho Communications Authority, ONATEL, TelOne and Telkom Kenya. IFC and African Capital Alliance have also previously funded the company.

For WIOCC, the challenge now shifts from securing capital to converting it into operating infrastructure at scale. The company has identified data center deployment, terrestrial fiber expansion and subsea assets as the immediate priorities, creating a potentially broader platform for African cloud, AI and digital-service growth. The $300 million commitment gives WIOCC significant financial firepower, but its eventual impact will depend on how quickly those investments translate into usable capacity across markets that remain unevenly connected.