Africa Launches Continental Internet Exchange (CIX) to Cut Costs and Assert Digital Independence

September 2025 – In a major step towards digital sovereignty and economic empowerment, African governments and tech companies have jointly launched the Continental Internet Exchange (CIX), a pan-African infrastructure initiative aimed at reducing internet costs and dependency on foreign tech giants.

Unveiled at the beginning of September, the Continental Internet Exchange marks a turning point in the continent’s digital development. Unlike traditional internet exchanges that often rely on foreign-owned infrastructure—most notably operated by companies like Microsoft, Amazon, and Google—CIX is entirely owned and operated by African governments and local private enterprises.

“This is about Africa owning its future,” said Dr. Amina Sefu, Director of the African Digital Sovereignty Initiative. “By keeping data and traffic within the continent, we not only reduce costs, but also enhance security, performance, and innovation.”



Cutting Costs, Increasing Access

One of the primary goals of the Continental Internet Exchange is to dramatically lower internet costs across Africa. Until now, much of the continent’s internet traffic has been routed through data centers in Europe, North America, or Asia, driving up latency and costs due to international bandwidth charges.

With CIX, data can now be exchanged locally across African borders, allowing for faster, more affordable, and more reliable internet access for individuals, businesses, and institutions. This change is expected to benefit not only urban hubs but also rural and underserved communities that have long struggled with expensive or unreliable connectivity.

A Vision for 4 Billion Users

While Africa currently has a population of around 1.5 billion people, the initiative’s backers see enormous potential in the future. With ongoing population growth, digital transformation, and increasing mobile penetration, the CIX aims to support over 4 billion users on the continent in the coming decades—positioning Africa as a global leader in digital infrastructure.

The project also includes investments in regional data centers, fiber-optic backbones, and localized cloud services, laying the foundation for homegrown tech innovation and entrepreneurship.

Challenging Big Tech Dominance

By creating a self-sufficient digital ecosystem, African leaders hope to reduce reliance on multinational tech companies that have historically controlled much of the internet infrastructure. While partnerships with foreign firms will continue in various capacities, CIX represents a shift towards a more balanced and equitable digital landscape.

 “We’re not closing our doors to the world,” said Samuel Kofi, CTO of WestNet Africa. “We’re simply making sure Africa is at the table—not just as a consumer, but as a creator and controller of digital infrastructure.”



Looking Ahead

The successful launch of the Continental Internet Exchange could serve as a model for other regions seeking to reclaim control over their digital futures. As implementation scales and adoption increases, CIX is poised to play a critical role in transforming Africa from a digitally dependent continent into a digitally empowered one.