JOHANNESBURG, Sept 17 – The U.S. International Development Finance Corporation, DFC, plans to invest up to $155 million in African digital infrastructure provider WIOCC, expanding Washington’s financial support for telecommunications, fiber networks and data centers across the continent.
The investment represents the DFC’s largest equity commitment to date and will be made alongside Vision Invest and the African Finance Corporation.
DFC Chief Executive Officer Ben Black said the investment reflects the strategic importance of digital infrastructure to the expansion of artificial intelligence and U.S. technology companies in African markets.
“President Trump and DFC are committed to winning the AI race for America,” Black said.
The agency said infrastructure such as fibre networks and data centres is increasingly important to the deployment of AI services, making the expansion of Africa’s digital capacity a component of broader U.S. technology and investment strategy.
“DFC’s largest ever equity investment of up to $155 million will help build the next generation of digital infrastructure for Africa’s growth on trusted networks that support American companies looking to expand in one of the world’s most dynamic markets,” Black said.
WIOCC’s Continental Network
Johannesburg-headquartered WIOCC operates undersea cable infrastructure, fibre networks and data centres across more than 30 African countries.
The company provides wholesale connectivity and related services through an open-access, carrier-neutral platform, allowing telecommunications operators and other businesses to access digital infrastructure without being tied to a single network provider.
The DFC said its investment would help WIOCC strengthen critical digital infrastructure across Africa while supporting the expansion of U.S. technology companies.
“This investment aligns with U.S. strategic interests in supporting U.S. hyperscalers and the American technology ecosystem,” the DFC said.
The agency also described WIOCC as a preferred infrastructure partner for U.S. technology companies seeking to expand across African markets.
Washington Deepens Digital Infrastructure Push
The investment forms part of a broader U.S. effort to expand its role in Africa’s telecommunications and digital infrastructure markets.
Washington has increasingly backed projects intended to provide alternatives to Chinese technology providers, including Huawei. The DFC previously committed $100 million to Africell, a U.S.-owned telecommunications operator with operations in several African markets.
The approach also builds on the Trump administration’s broader “clean network” policy, which sought to reduce reliance on Chinese telecommunications technology, applications and carriers in the United States and allied markets.
During Trump’s second term, Washington has continued efforts to encourage the international adoption of U.S. technology in strategic digital sectors.
An executive order signed last year directed U.S. agencies to promote American technology internationally across artificial intelligence, data-centre storage, cloud services and networking.
Africa’s Data Infrastructure Race
The DFC’s WIOCC investment comes as demand for digital infrastructure rises alongside cloud computing, AI applications and the growth of Africa’s technology sector.
Data centres, fibre networks and subsea cables form the physical foundation for the expansion of these services, making infrastructure investment increasingly important to the continent’s digital economy.
Other U.S.-backed investments are also expanding the region’s data-centre capacity. U.S. company Digital Realty and its Kenyan brand Icolo announced an $80 million data-centre facility in Kenya this month.
For WIOCC, the new capital is expected to strengthen the infrastructure platform connecting African markets while increasing capacity available to global technology companies operating on the continent.
The investment also illustrates how digital infrastructure is becoming an increasingly important area of competition between major technology powers, with the United States seeking to expand the reach of American technology ecosystems while African countries continue to build the connectivity and computing capacity required for their digital economies.
