Nairobi-based entrepreneur Farouk Ramji drives Mawingu to $20m funding success

Under Nairobi-based entrepreneur Farouk Ramji, Mawingu Networks, an internet service provider focused on underserved communities, has raised $20 million to expand its coverage in Kenya and Tanzania. Mawingu Networks plans to use the capital to grow its customer base and strengthen its regional operations as it works toward connecting one million users by 2028.

Mawingu gains backing from Pembani Remgro fund

The Series C round was led by South Africa’s Pembani Remgro Infrastructure Managers. The investment marks a major step for Mawingu, which has built its business around a straightforward idea — that affordable, reliable internet can transform lives in small towns just as much as in major cities.

“Raising capital right now isn’t easy, so this backing means a lot,” Ramji said in an interview. “This round isn’t just about money. It’s about confidence in our team and the belief that internet access can create real opportunity.”

The funding comes a year after Mawingu expanded into Tanzania through a $15 million acquisition of local provider Habari. Pembani Remgro’s fund has been working to take a controlling stake in Mawingu, a move now under review by the COMESA Competition Commission. Regulators are assessing whether the deal could reshape competition in a market dominated by Safaricom, Jamii, and Wananchi.

Mawingu expands rural internet access in Kenya

Founded in 2012, Mawingu now serves more than 120,000 users across 30 counties and recently launched services in Mandera County near the Somali border. Ramji, who took over as chief executive in 2021, has spent more than a decade building telecom ventures in Africa and Central Asia. If Mawingu delivers on its growth plans, it could stand as one of the few African connectivity startups proving that rural broadband can be both sustainable and scalable.

Looking closely into its operation in Kenya, Mawingu’s subscriber base in the country has more than doubled in the past year to 76,650 users, giving it about 3.6 percent of Kenya’s fixed internet market, according to the Communications Authority of Kenya. The company’s growth reflects a widening gap between connected urban centers and rural areas still left offline.

Bridging the digital gap in villages

For many households and small businesses outside major cities in East Africa, internet access remains a daily challenge. Students struggle with online learning, clinics can’t tap into digital records and entrepreneurs lose potential customers. Mawingu aims to bridge that divide through Wi-Fi networks designed for rural areas and pricing plans that fit local incomes.