In a move that emphasizes its ambition to lead Africa’s broadband revolution, AXIAN Telecom Fibre Ltd (“Yas”), a subsidiary of AXIAN Telecom Holding and Management PLC, has completed the acquisition of 99.63% of Wananchi Group (Holdings) Ltd (“Wananchi”), one of East Africa’s top fixed broadband and enterprise connectivity providers.
The deal marks a major milestone in Yas’s pan-African growth strategy, significantly expanding its fibre footprint across Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, and Malawi, with over one million homes now passed in the region.
Boosting East Africa’s Broadband Momentum
East Africa is rapidly emerging as one of the continent’s most dynamic broadband markets, driven by surging data demand and accelerating enterprise digitalisation. By integrating Wananchi’s strong local presence and technical capabilities, Yas is positioning itself to capture this growth and deliver reliable, high-speed internet to homes and businesses alike.
In Tanzania, the acquisition is expected to enhance Yas’s already strong position by leveraging synergies with its existing fibre operations, consolidating its leadership in one of the region’s most competitive telecom markets.
A Strategic Fit for Regional Expansion
Wananchi, well known for its Zuku (consumer) and Simbanet (enterprise) brands, operates a robust fibre backbone and last-mile network serving thousands of customers across East Africa. Under Yas’s ownership, the company will gain access to deeper investment capacity and AXIAN’s group-wide technical expertise, enabling it to scale its Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH), Software-Defined Wide Area Network (SD-WAN), and cloud connectivity solutions.
Hassan Jaber, CEO of AXIAN Telecom, emphasized the strategic alignment:
“Wananchi Group’s network, customer relationships, and local expertise align perfectly with our ambition to be a leader in broadband connectivity across Africa. Yas already has a strong presence in East Africa, and this acquisition builds on our deep understanding of the region’s opportunities and needs while giving us access to new vibrant markets in Kenya and Uganda.”
Ugandan enterprises urged to explore regional oil and gas opportunitiesHe added that the integration will “unlock new potential for growth, innovation, and value creation, delivering better access and new digital services for the communities and businesses we serve.”
A Major Step Toward Pan-African Broadband Leadership
Echoing that vision, Bertrand Lacroix, CEO of AXIAN Telecom Fibre, called the acquisition a “big step forward” in Yas’s mission to build a leading pan-African broadband connectivity provider.
“We are committed to bringing high-speed Internet to millions more Africans. Our strong performance so far — doubling our fixed broadband base and achieving double-digit revenue and EBITDA growth — shows the strength of our model,” Lacroix said.
Yas currently operates in Tanzania, Madagascar, Comoros, Senegal, and Togo, and with Wananchi’s integration, the company gains an even larger operational scale, investment capacity, and cross-market expertise. Continuity of employment and business operations will be maintained throughout the transition, ensuring stability for Wananchi’s employees, customers, and partners.
AXIAN Telecom is a pan-African telecommunications service provider active in eleven markets including Tanzania, Madagascar, Togo, Senegal, Uganda, Kenya, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Comoros, Malawi, Réunion, and Mayotte. The group operates across three main business segments:mobile and fixed networks, digital infrastructure, and mobile financial services.
With this latest acquisition, AXIAN Telecom further solidifies its position as one of the continent’s most ambitious digital infrastructure players — driving Africa’s next wave of broadband connectivity and digital inclusion.
