Bayobab

What Bayobab does

Bayobab is a wholly-owned subsidiary of MTN Digital Infrastructure within MTN Group, providing wholesale digital connectivity infrastructure and communication platforms across Africa. The company operates 141,000 km of open-access terrestrial fibre, holds 24 subsea cable investments with access to 235 landing stations, and runs Platform-as-a-Service offerings in Voice, Messaging, Roaming, IPX, and IoT, supplemented by LEO satellite services and data centre co-location. Its network footprint nominally reaches 54 African countries with direct in-country operations in 9 subsidiaries (South Africa, Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Uganda, Côte d'Ivoire, Zambia, and via partnerships in Mozambique), alongside regional leadership based in Dubai. The company serves mobile network operators, internet service providers, hyperscalers, enterprises, and governments as a wholesale/open-access provider.

The company's technology stack combines long-haul subsea capacity (notably the 2Africa cable system at 45,000 km and 168–180 Tbps total capacity) with national and metro fibre, carrier-grade IPX platforms, and LEO satellite coverage for underserved geographies. Its East2West (E2W) terrestrial fibre build, a 16,500 km project executed with Africa50 and Smart Africa Alliance, is intended to connect landlocked African countries from east to west across 12 markets. The communication platforms expose APIs for programmatic access to international voice hubbing, cloud numbering, signalling, and wholesale roaming, with MEF 3.0 Carrier Ethernet certification and three consecutive GLF anti-fraud attestations (2023–2025).

Bayobab monetises through subscription-based recurring revenue across three primary streams: wholesale infrastructure (fibre and subsea capacity to MNOs, ISPs, cloud providers, and hyperscalers), communication platforms (PaaS for carriers and enterprises), and satellite services for rural connectivity. Pricing is quote-based and negotiated at the enterprise level. Its largest commercial relationship is the captive MTN Group account, where the voice platform carries traffic to and from MTN in 18 African countries; named external enterprise customers include TMCEL (Mozambique Telecom) for international voice/roaming/IPX, Vodacom Mozambique for fibre interconnection, and Zoom Communications for enterprise UCaaS distribution. The company is headquartered in Dubai, registered in South Africa (as Mobile Telephone Networks (Pty) Ltd), and employs over 324 staff across 36 nationalities.

Name

Bayobab

Legal name

Mobile Telephone Networks (Proprietary) Limited

Website

https://bayobab.africa

Company type

Private

Founded year

2023

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Bayobab is MTN Digital Infrastructure's wholesale connectivity and communication-platform subsidiary, operating 141,000 km of open-access fibre, 24 subsea cable investments, and Voice/Messaging/Roaming/IPX platforms across 54 African countries, serving MNOs, ISPs, hyperscalers, enterprises, and governments.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Telecommunications Infrastructure

NAICS

Wired and Wireless Telecommunications Carriers (except Satellite) (51711), Satellite Telecommunications (5174)

SIC

Communications Services, Nec (4899)

akta.pro primary industry

Subsea Cable System Owners & Consortia (Wet Plant Investment) (HDAIALAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Network Backbone & Core IP Transport (Long-Haul/Metro IP) (HDAIAFAG), Enterprise Satellite Connectivity & Managed Services (VSAT, SD-WAN over Satcom) (HDAIAJAB), Satellite Mobility Connectivity (Maritime, Aviation, Rail, Land Mobile) (HDAIAJAD)

Keywords

• Wholesale fibre infrastructure
• Subsea cable networks
• Communication platforms
• Satellite connectivity services
• Data centre solutions

Headquarters

HQ city

Nairobi

HQ country

Kenya

HQ region

Africa

Offices9 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Wholesale Infrastructure Services: Wholesale fiber and connectivity services to mobile network operators, ISPs, cloud providers, and hyperscalers
2. Communication Platform Services: Platform-as-a-Service for Voice, Messaging, Roaming, IPX with API access for carriers and enterprises
3. Satellite Services: LEO satellite connectivity services for rural and underserved areas

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Bayobab operates an open-access digital connectivity infrastructure spanning 141,000km of terrestrial fibre, 24 subsea cable investments, and LEO satellite services across Africa. It delivers Platform-as-a-Service for Voice, Messaging, Roaming, IPX, and IoT to mobile network operators, ISPs, hyperscalers, enterprises, and governments. Services include wholesale fibre, data centre co-location, and managed communication platforms as end-to-end infrastructure from subsea to satellite.

Product overview

Bayobab operates as a unified digital infrastructure platform offering a portfolio of connectivity products organized into three main pillars: Fibre Solutions (comprising Global Carrier Services with L3/L2 VPN and IPLC; National Carrier Services with Dark Fibre and NPLC; Global IP Services with IPT and DDoS Protection; Cloud Services; and Local Internet Services with DIA), Communication Platforms (providing Voice, Messaging, Roaming, and IPX platforms as-a-Service), and Satellite Solutions (LEO satellite for rural connectivity). Supporting infrastructure includes Data Centres and strategic projects like the East2West terrestrial fibre initiative and participation in the 2Africa subsea cable system. The company delivers end-to-end connectivity from subsea cables to satellite, serving mobile network operators, enterprises, governments, and communities across Africa.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Bayobab Fibre Network Backbone of Bayobab's Network-as-a-Service infrastructure providing Global, National, and Cloud Connectivity Services across 141,000km of open-access fibre and 24 subsea cable investments. Serves mobile network operators, ISPs, hyperscalers, enterprises, and governments across Africa.
• Communication Platforms Platform-as-a-Service for Voice, Messaging, Roaming, Signalling, and IPX platforms facilitating secure and scalable global communication traffic within and between Africa and the rest of the world. Serves mobile network operators and enterprises with central interconnection nodes and API access.
• Satellite Solutions LEO satellite services delivering high-speed, low-latency connectivity for rural and remote communities where traditional terrestrial and mobile networks cannot reach. Includes capacity delivery, installation, deployment, monitoring, and support.
• Data Centres Co-location and cloud solutions for hyperscalers, enterprises, and governments. Bayobab develops pioneering data centre capabilities as part of MTN's Data Centre strategy.
• Global Carrier Services International connectivity solutions including L3 VPN, L2 VPN, and IPLC for consistent and reliable global communications. Serves carriers and large enterprises requiring high-capacity international connectivity.
• National Carrier Services Domestic connectivity solutions including Dark Fibre, NPLC, and Data Centre services for robust national network infrastructure across African countries.
• Global IP Services IP services including Internet Protocol Transit (IPT) for gateway access to the global web and DDoS Protection for guarding digital infrastructure against attacks.
• Cloud Services Public Cloud Access providing secure, low-latency connections to world's leading public cloud platforms for enterprises and startups across Africa.
• Local Internet Services Local connectivity solutions including Dedicated Internet Access (DIA) for consistent, high-speed internet without fluctuations for enterprises in African markets.
• IPX (Interexchange Packet Exchange) Secure network platform for mobile operators to contain and reduce costs while introducing new interconnect and roaming services including IoT, VoLTE, ViLTE, RCS, VoWiFi.
• Messaging Platform Centralised SMS platform monetising and securing incoming and outgoing SMS services including P2P, P2A, and A2P messaging with single connection point to 18 MTN mobile operators across Africa.
• Roaming Platform International Roaming facilitation between Mobile Network Operators using GSM and Open connectivity-compliant platform supporting 4G/5G roaming, wholesale roaming, roaming VAS, IoT, and M2M roaming.
• Voice Platform Voice telephony platform carrying voice traffic to and from MTN in 18 African countries, providing International Voice Hubbing, Voice Transit, and Cloud Numbering Services.
• 2Africa Subsea Cable System World's longest subsea cable at 45,000km connecting 33+ countries across Africa, Europe, Asia, and Middle East, providing unprecedented capacity for over 3 billion people using SDM1 technology with up to 16 fibre pairs and 168-180 Tbps total capacity.
• East2West Connectivity Project Terrestrial fibre initiative spanning 16,500km across three strategic paths to connect 12 African countries from east to west coasts, bridging the digital divide for landlocked countries.

Quantifiable outcome

• 3 billion+ people connected through 2Africa infrastructure
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and major.

• Vodacom MozambiquecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 February 2026Strategic fiber interconnection at Zambia-Mozambique border creating key route linking inland networks to subsea cable systems. Enables direct international connectivity to 2Africa submarine cable and enhances network resilience across Southern Africa.
• TMCEL (Mozambique Telecom)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 February 2026TMCEL selected Bayobab as preferred provider for international communication services including International Voice, International Roaming, and IPX. Bayobab provides end-to-end management of TMCEL's international communications to deliver advanced, scalable services.
• MetacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 November 2025Bayobab is a key consortium partner in the 2Africa subsea cable project led by Meta. The cable spans 45,000km connecting 33+ countries across Africa, Europe, Asia, and Middle East. Bayobab invested in the largest number of 2Africa landing sites in Africa including South Africa, Nigeria, Ghana, and Côte d'Ivoire.
• Africa50coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 October 2025Strategic partnership supporting Project East 2 West (E2W) for developing pan-African terrestrial fibre infrastructure. Africa50 collaboration helps accelerate delivery of critical infrastructure across the continent through the 16,500km East2West connectivity project.
• SeekrminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 October 2025Partnership to accelerate AI adoption in Africa, announced as part of MTN Digital Infrastructure's digital transformation initiatives.
• Zoom CommunicationsmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2025Strategic partnership to unlock digital transformation across African markets. Co-developing tailored offerings for Zoom Workplace platform with AI Companion. Bayobab provides robust global-standard telephony and rich voice communication experiences.
• InfobipmajorTechnology or Integration · 18 March 2025Five-year partnership agreement where Bayobab uses Infobip's Communication Platform as a Service (CPaaS) for SMS services across Africa. Enables campaign management, APIs, analytics, and advanced security solutions while reducing administrative costs.
• Smart Africa AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 November 2023MOU signed on Project East to West alongside Africa50 to develop pan-African terrestrial fibre connecting landlocked African countries from east to west coasts through 12 countries.
• MicrosoftmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 May 2023Strategic connectivity partnership enabling future growth for Africa. Microsoft collaboration supports Bayobab's digital infrastructure development across the continent.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• WIOCC: WIOCC is a pan-African wholesale carrier aggregating capacity on multiple subsea systems (including EASSy, WACS, ACE, 2Africa) and serving MNOs, ISPs and hyperscalers. Directly comparable to Bayobab as a competing open-access wholesale aggregator in African subsea and fibre.
• SEACOM: SEACOM owns and operates subsea cable systems along the African east coast and provides wholesale connectivity, cloud and managed services. Highly comparable to Bayobab in subsea ownership, fibre backhaul and enterprise wholesale across Southern and East Africa.
• Paratus Group: Paratus operates fibre networks and data centres across Southern and East Africa and provides wholesale, enterprise and LEO/satellite connectivity. Comparable to Bayobab in open-access wholesale fibre, data centres and integrated connectivity services in Africa.
• MainOne (Equinix): MainOne, now part of Equinix, operates the MainOne subsea cable, terrestrial fibre across West Africa and West Africa's largest Tier III data centre (MDXi). Comparable to Bayobab in subsea cable ownership, fibre footprint and data-centre co-location across West Africa.
• Liquid Intelligent Technologies: Liquid Intelligent Technologies (Cassava Technologies) operates one of Africa's largest independent fibre networks and provides wholesale, enterprise and cloud connectivity across the continent. Directly comparable to Bayobab in pan-African fibre, subsea capacity resale, and enterprise/hyperscaler targeting.
• Angola Cables: Angola Cables operates the SACS, WACS and Monet subsea systems connecting Africa to the Americas and Europe, plus the Angonix IXP. Comparable to Bayobab as an African-owned subsea cable operator selling wholesale capacity and managed network services.

Broad incumbents

• Safaricom: Safaricom is East Africa's largest integrated telco with significant fibre, data-centre and enterprise services operations. Comparable to Bayobab as a broad incumbent operating fibre and enterprise connectivity infrastructure in overlapping geographies (Kenya specifically).
• Airtel Africa: Airtel Africa is a multi-country mobile operator with its own fibre and subsea investments and serves as both customer and competitor to wholesale carriers like Bayobab. Comparable as a broad incumbent with overlapping enterprise and wholesale infrastructure in the same African markets.
• Helios Towers: Helios Towers is a leading independent telecom infrastructure company operating towers across Africa and the Middle East. Comparable as a broad African infrastructure incumbent, though focused on towers rather than fibre/subsea, sharing similar enterprise and MNO customers.

Emerging players

• Eutelsat / OneWeb: Eutelsat/OneWeb operates a global LEO satellite constellation and is a Bayobab partner for rural African connectivity. Comparable as an emerging satellite connectivity player intersecting with Bayobab's LEO strategy in underserved African markets.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bayobab
• Xx.com/bayobabKe
• Facebookfacebook.com/BayobabKenya

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Subsidiaries8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Bayobab