Hassanein Hiridjee sees telecom as Africa’s AI backbone

Malagasy tycoon Hassanein Hiridjee does not frame Africa’s artificial intelligence ambitions as a distant promise. In a recent interview with Bloomberg’s Next Africa, he spoke about it as a practical challenge rooted in infrastructure, capital and cooperation. For Hiridjee, founder of Axian Group and the largest shareholder in e-commerce firm Jumia, the starting point is clear: without stronger telecommunications networks, AI on the continent will struggle to scale.

Telecoms, he said, sit at the center of the AI conversation because they move data from where it is created to where it is processed and used. That process begins offshore, with submarine cables bringing capacity to African markets. It continues inland, connecting those cables to data centers, and ends with the last-mile networks—fiber and mobile systems—that deliver services to businesses and consumers. Hiridjee noted that telecom operators built many of Africa’s earliest data centers, putting them in a natural position to support AI workloads.

Axian spins off carrier-neutral data centers

At Axian, that thinking has shaped recent decisions. The company has separated its data center operations from its telecom units, turning them into carrier-neutral facilities. The goal, Hiridjee said, is to widen access while keeping operating costs and emissions in check by relying on renewable power. The facilities are designed to host servers and capacity for a range of users, from local firms to global technology players.

Rather than seeing foreign investment as a threat, Hiridjee described it as a necessity. Africa’s digital build-out, he said, requires more capital and more technical skills than any single group can provide. International companies bringing cables, capital and computing power are part of the solution, not a problem. “There’s room for everyone,” he said, adding that the scale of unmet demand leaves space for both local and global operators.

Partnerships are central to that approach. Axian is in talks with a major hyperscaler to speed up its data center and AI plans, a move that would improve access to advanced chips and computing platforms. The group has also signed a partnership with Mastercard to support its fintech operations. Hiridjee described today’s technology growth as inherently collaborative, involving governments, international firms and local partners working side by side.

Axian expands in East Africa

Those partnerships are unfolding alongside expansion on the ground. More than a month ago, Axian Telecom agreed to acquire Wananchi Group for $63 million, boosting its presence in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. Wananchi operates metro and long-haul fiber networks and provides connectivity services to corporate and public-sector clients. While best known in Kenya for its Zuku consumer brand, the transaction centers on Wananchi’s connectivity assets.

Axian plans to fold Wananchi into its regional enterprise unit, using the combined network to offer cloud connectivity, dedicated internet access, SD-WAN and managed services. The deal adds blue-chip clients across sectors such as finance, manufacturing, logistics and government, while giving Axian a broader platform beyond mobile and wholesale services.

The acquisition aligns with Axian’s strategy to expand enterprise revenue alongside its core infrastructure business. This major move comes as the demand for dependable connectivity, cybersecurity and cloud access surges across East Africa as companies digitize operations. By extending fiber routes and service contracts, Axian plans to strengthen client ties and sell bundled offerings linking networks, data centers and technologies.