South Africa-Singapore Undersea Cable SAEX Project Gets Financial Boost

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By NTU-SBF Centre for African Studies
April 30, 2025

A decade after it was first conceived, plans for a new undersea internet cable connecting South Africa to Singapore have gained fresh momentum. This is after the project received financial support from the South African state-owned development finance institution – Industrial Development Corporation (IDC).

The South Africa-Singapore undersea cable project, known as SAEx, is a pivotal initiative aimed at enhancing internet connectivity between Africa and Asia. As global demand for reliable and high-speed internet continues to rise, this ambitious subsea cable system is set to transform communication channels and stimulate economic growth and digital transformation across both continents.

The IDC has committed project development capital to the SAEx East Subsea Fibre-Optic Cable Project, enabling completion of a definitive feasibility study. At financial close – expected in the second half of the year – the IDC is also set to take a 25% equity stake in the venture.

The 11,750km cable will begin in Cape Town, with additional points of presence along South Africa’s coast at East London and Amanzimtoti. From there, it crosses the Indian Ocean via Réunion and Mauritius, continues to Malaysia, and terminates in Singapore. Branching units will be installed to allow potential future links to India and Thailand. The South African landing points will allow interconnection with regional cable systems such as Equiano and 2Africa.

The SAEx East cable will provide a direct undersea internet route between Africa and Asia, bypassing congested and politically sensitive corridors such as the Red Sea. By following a deep-sea path across the Indian Ocean, it reduces dependence on overland infrastructure and offers a more secure and resilient channel for high-volume data traffic. The system’s design – with fewer interconnection points, or ‘hops’ – enables faster, more efficient transmission.

Looking ahead, the second phase is expected to eventually extend the cable westward across the Atlantic Ocean, linking South Africa to South America and ultimately landing in Virginia Beach in the United States. The full network will be known as the SAEx Southern Oceans Network.

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