Overview
Angola Cables is a Luanda-based telecommunications infrastructure company that owns and operates submarine fibre-optic cable systems connecting Angola to the Americas, Europe, and the rest of Africa. As the operator of the South Atlantic Cable System (SACS) — the first direct submarine cable linking Africa to South America — Angola Cables occupies a strategically significant position in the digital infrastructure of the South Atlantic.
Infrastructure Portfolio
Angola Cables operates and holds stakes in multiple submarine cable systems:
| Cable System | Route | Capacity | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| SACS | Luanda to Fortaleza, Brazil (~6,200 km) | 100 Tbps design capacity | Operational since 2018 |
| WACS | West African coast to London (~14,500 km) | 14.5 Tbps | Operational since 2012 |
| Monet | Brazil to the United States | 64 Tbps | Operational since 2017 |
The SACS cable, which went live in September 2018, reduced latency between Africa and South America from approximately 350 milliseconds (via Europe) to less than 63 milliseconds on the direct route. This infrastructure positions Luanda as a potential regional digital hub, with the Angola Cables data center (AngoNAP Fortaleza) and Luanda facilities providing interconnection and content delivery services.
Ownership and Governance
Angola Cables is majority-owned by Angola Telecom (the state telecommunications operator) with minority stakes held by other Angolan telecommunications companies. The company operates as a wholesale carrier, selling capacity to internet service providers, mobile operators, and enterprise clients across Angola and the broader region.
Economic and Strategic Significance
Angola Cables is a key enabler of Angola’s digital economy aspirations. As the National Development Plan (PDN 2023-2027) targets technology adoption and digital transformation, the availability of high-capacity international bandwidth is a prerequisite for:
- Financial services digitization: Supporting the expansion of mobile banking, digital payments, and the BNA’s financial inclusion agenda under ENIF
- Capital markets infrastructure: Enabling low-latency connectivity for BODIVA trading systems and the Portal do Investidor
- Foreign investment facilitation: International bandwidth is a critical consideration for multinational companies evaluating Angola as an operational base
Investment Relevance
Angola Cables has been discussed as a potential candidate for partial privatization or strategic partnership under the government’s PROPRIV programme, though no formal timeline has been announced. The company’s asset base — including ownership stakes in three major cable systems and two data centers — represents significant infrastructure value.
For capital markets participants, Angola Cables’ role in reducing Angola’s connectivity costs and improving service reliability has a multiplier effect on the broader economy. The telecommunications sector is one of the most dynamic non-oil segments, with Unitel and other mobile operators depending on Angola Cables’ international backbone. In a $115.2 billion economy where digital transformation is a stated policy priority, submarine cable infrastructure is a foundational asset class that investors monitoring Angola’s economic diversification trajectory should track closely.