WIOCC was incorporated in 2007 by 14 African telecommunications operators with a shared objective: to build the backbone infrastructure required to connect Africa to the rest of the world. Today, the company is a leading provider of digital infrastructure across the continent, with strategic investments in the East African Submarine Cable System (EASSy), the West African Cable System (WACS) and the Europe India Gateway (EIG), alongside access to capacity across major African subsea networks and terrestrial fibre in more than 30 countries.
African Capital Alliance (ACA) identified WIOCC as a platform with the scale and strategic positioning to lead the next phase of Africa’s digital infrastructure development. Recognising the continent’s growing demand for connectivity and cloud services, ACA partnered with WIOCC through the Capital Alliance Private Equity IV (CAPE IV) fund to support its ambition of building Africa’s first hyperscale network infrastructure business.
ACA supported WIOCC through several significant milestones in Africa’s digital infrastructure development, including the deployment of the Google-led Equiano cable, which landed in Nigeria in 2022, and the collaboration with Meta on the 2Africa submarine cable, the world’s longest subsea cable system, which landed at WIOCC facilities in Durban and Lagos.
ACA has also played a central role in developing WIOCC’s data centre business, Open Access Data Centres (OADC), supporting the recruitment of its chief executive and the development of core facilities across Nigeria and South Africa, alongside an extensive network of Edge sites. In 2025, ACA supported OADC’s acquisition of seven data centre facilities from NTT Data, expanding the platform to 13 core sites. OADC is now a top-ten data centre brand in Africa and the only African operator hosting Meta, Microsoft and Google.
Beyond data centres, ACA has supported WIOCC’s expansion into last-mile connectivity through Open Access Metro Services (OAMS), a wholesale fibre platform launched in Lagos, with plans to expand into additional markets.
Sustainability and governance have also been central to the partnership. New facilities incorporate renewable energy, including hydroelectric power at the Kinshasa site, while ACA has supported strengthened governance through externally supported reviews of board and corporate governance practices.
The partnership reflects ACA’s commitment to building the digital infrastructure required to accelerate Africa’s connectivity, support its digital economy and enable long-term economic growth.