The story of Bayobab is one of continuous growth and impactful strides, exemplifying its commitment to revolutionizing Africa's digital landscape. From its inception, Bayobab made decisive moves that bore fruit, establishing itself as a catalyst for change.
Embracing the wisdom of the proverb, "A tree is known by its fruit," Bayobab thrived on bold actions that led to tangible outcomes. Beginning its mission to expand Africa's digital infrastructure with 85,000 kilometers of fiber in 2018, Bayobab achieved a remarkable milestone by September 30, 2023, deploying an extensive 112,000 kilometers of proprietary fiber to date. This expansion continues and will reach 135,000 kilometers by 2025, laying a solid foundation for the progress of digital markets and economic growth.
Bayobab symbolizes strength, resilience, and interconnectedness - values we deeply cherish and aim to reflect in our offerings. Just as the Baobab tree stands at the center of its ecosystem, nurturing and supporting the life around it, Bayobab aspires to be at the heart of the digital landscape in Africa.
We envision ourselves as the enablers of the digital ecosystem, facilitating growth, innovation, and digital transformation across the continent. By fostering connections and ensuring reliable infrastructure, we empower businesses, communities, and individuals to thrive in an increasingly digital world.
Under the strategic banner of #ConnectingAfrica, Bayobab has undergone a transformative journey, revamping its business model and rebranding for an open-access neutral platform. Led by Frédéric's visionary leadership, the company swiftly diversified into multiple business lines; it amassed assets and generated profitable revenues exceeding half a billion USD in under six years. Operating in several key African markets, Bayobab's expansion was driven by strategic partnerships, acquisitions, and regulatory milestones, solidifying its position as a digital hub in Africa.
Bayobab consistently fulfills its brand promise of connecting Africa with cutting-edge digital solutions. Bayobab Group operates subsidiaries in Nigeria, Ghana, Uganda, Zambia, South Africa, Cote d’Ivoire, Kenya, Central African Republic and the Democratic Republic of Congo, with several fiber businesses coming online in 2023 and beyond.
Frédéric's stewardship led to market expansions both domestically and internationally, achieving significant milestones.
Bayobab's strategic partnership with the Central African Republic (CAR) government secured the CAR PPP License, a pivotal milestone for expanding fiber routes across Africa. CAR was strategically selected based on the most efficient routing option to establish a full link between East and West Africa, playing a crucial role in expanding existing fibre routes and creating new routes to connect various parts of the continent. This collaboration fuels innovation and economic growth, fostering connectivity and impacting growth in regions of operation.
Additionally, Bayobab obtained significant licenses: an International Network License in Zambia and a National Long-Distance Operator License in Nigeria. These licenses empower seamless fiber capacity transportation between nations, driving innovation and economic collaboration in these regions.
In Zambia, Bayobab's milestone strengthens its position as a digital hub, revolutionizing the country's connectivity landscape. Nigeria, Africa's largest ICT market, is experiencing significant digital transformations, reshaping access to information and daily activities for its 200-million-plus population. Bayobab Nigeria's role is fundamental in fortifying the nation's digital infrastructure, fueling the surge in digital services and the demand for data in Nigeria's burgeoning digital economy.
Bayobab’s recent partnership with Africa50 sees an investment of up to USD320 million to develop a pan-African terrestrial fiber optic cable network called Project East2West. The project aims to enhance connectivity across 10 African countries with a common vision to bridge Africa’s digital divide. The company's growth and expansion in key African markets have attracted investors and international partnerships and have opened significant opportunities for revenue generation and market leadership.
Bayobab's current achievements echo our commitment to bold thinking and taking audacious steps as Bayobab Group. Our streamlining of access to wholesale services and consolidating communication platforms demonstrate Bayobab's approach to simplifying complexities. We pave the way for innovative solutions, strategic infrastructure development, and impactful partnerships—all geared towards delivering lasting socio-economic progress for Africa.
In the very early days of our inception, we created a single doorway and a single contract, streamlining access to our wholesale services for MTN's 18 OpCos. We optimized the flow of voice and data traffic by consolidating our communication platforms, enhancing security in the process. Today we call this space Bayobab Communication Platforms. We also expanded into local markets to bring us closer to our customers and stakeholders, simplifying and strengthening our engagements by setting up our Fiber subsidiaries. We refer to our network and presence as Bayobab Fiber and footprint.
The Bayobab Ecosystem combines Bayobab Fiber, an unrivaled digital doorway into Sub-Saharan Africa feeding tens of thousands of terabytes of data into our central Bayobab Communication Platforms, and in turn reaching over 290m African subscribers on the MTN network.
Bayobab's core belief is in the transformative power of connectivity. Much like the resilient Baobab tree standing firm amidst adversity, Bayobab has stood the test of time, thriving and evolving. The evolving global market presents boundless opportunities for innovations, collaborations, and forging new pathways. GSMA predicts that by 2025, global internet users will surge to 5 billion. Thus, demand for higher bandwidth, 5G rollouts, and digital solutions offers tremendous growth potential.
Believing in the power of connectivity, we know we must collaborate. The adage "If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together," encapsulates Bayobab's collaborative approach. Collaborating efforts with customers, regulators, policymakers, and global players reinforce Bayobab's strength and commitment to lasting success and mutual prosperity for everyone involved.
Diversified partnerships with influential Hyperscalers and investment alliances with like-minded organizations underscore Bayobab's recognition of the power of collaborative efforts in driving exponential digital connectivity and socio-economic progress for Africa.
An essential collaboration in the digital service sphere emphasizes the significance of SMS-based One Time Passwords (OTPs) in verifying users and granting access to their digital services, particularly in Africa. With the upsurge in mobile transactions, there's an urgent requirement for reliable customer authentication methods.
However, the rise in mobile reliance also amplifies the risk of identity fraud. This threat involves fraudulent activities exploiting SMS systems, impacting both businesses and consumers. Malicious practices jeopardize security, potentially compromising online accounts and, in severe cases, endangering lives.
To counter these threats, Bayobab forged strategic alliances with partners interested in securing their user experience. These groundbreaking partnerships involve migrating SMS OTP traffic for 290 million users across 18 African countries directly through Bayobab, aligning with our vision of empowering Africa through innovative and secure technological solutions. At Bayobab, our unwavering dedication lies in pioneering initiatives that enable our partners to efficiently connect with Africa. We pursue bold strategies, rooted in innovation, aspiring to be the primary Gateway and Technology Enabler for the continent.
Fundamentally, we hold a powerful belief: "Everyone deserves the benefits of a modern connected life." This conviction propels our mission to protect digital identity verification, guaranteeing equitable access to digital age opportunities and services, irrespective of one's location or situation.
Capitalizing on current trends and ecosystem collaboration, Bayobab focuses on three core areas: infrastructure development, strategic partnerships, and innovative solutions. Extending its fiber network, forging strategic collaborations, and exploring cutting-edge technologies ensures Bayobab stays ahead of the curve, offering bespoke solutions tailored to specific needs.
Looking ahead, Bayobab's vision is to be the bedrock of Africa's digital transformation. Our commitment to partnerships, innovative technologies, and customer-centric approaches sets the stage for Bayobab to spearhead Africa's digital future. As the world recognizes the importance of robust connectivity, Bayobab's mission is crystal clear—to bridge the digital gap and pave the way for a digitally inclusive Africa.
