WIOCC secures $300M investment to expand Africa’s digital infrastructure for AI, DPI

African digital infrastructure platform WIOCC Group has secured a combined US$300 million investment from Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) and Saudi Arabia’s Vision International Investment Company to accelerate data centers, fiber networks and subsea connectivity supporting the continent’s growing digital economy.

The investment comes as African governments expand digital identity, digital public infrastructure (DPI) and AI initiatives that depend on resilient cloud, compute and connectivity infrastructure.

“Africa is uniquely positioned to capitalize on the next phase of global digital growth,” says Chris Wood, CEO at WIOCC Group. “As demand for cloud, AI and digital services accelerates, robust and scalable infrastructure will be essential to unlocking the continent’s potential.”

Wood says the investment enables WIOCC to execute its long-term growth strategy by accelerating data center deployment and consolidation. This will expand the continent’s open-access terrestrial fiber footprint and enable strategic investment in “new subsea assets.” The deal was announced at the LEAP 2026 Global Technology exhibition in Riyadh.

WIOCC operates in more than 30 countries and is backed by African telecom operators and international investors such as IFC and African Capital Alliance. According to the International Telecommunication Union, only 35.7 percent of Africa’s population used the internet in 2025, compared with a global average of 73.6 percent.

Those networks increasingly underpin digital identity systems, payment platforms, government cloud services and other digital public infrastructure deployed across Africa.

Digital infrastructure development is among the most pressing policy priorities for many African governments. A Carnegie Endowment for International Peace brief found that 90 percent of all regulatory documents in the AfTech database involved digital infrastructure, with more than half focused on it exclusively.

AFC President Samaila Zubairu says the investment would help build “the open‑access digital backbone African businesses and communities need to integrate, innovate and compete globally.” President and CEO at Vision Invest, Omar N. Al-Midani remarked that Africa is the home to the world’s youngest population.

With a rising share of the global population, “demand for digital services in Africa will continue to rise, necessitating impactful investments in connectivity and digital ecosystems to unlock new opportunities for innovation, economic diversification and sustainable growth as well as opportunities for businesses, innovators and communities across Africa,” Al-Midani believes.

The deal strengthens WIOCC’s financial position and supports Africa’s efforts to close the digital divide and expand participation in the international digital economy. The company is headquartered in Mauritius with offices in Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa and Zambia.

Saudi Arabia is not the only state in the Middle East to invest in Africa with the UAE pledging a massive $1 billion for the purpose of implementing DPI and AI projects for the continent. Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan disclosed the international development-minded funding during the G20 Summit held in South Africa at the end of 2025.

Article Topics

Africa  |  digital ID infrastructure  |  digital public infrastructure  |  investment