Navigating Internet Disruptions in South Africa: Causes and Solutions

Nov 29, 2025 0

The recent disruptions in internet connectivity across Africa, caused by submarine cable cuts, have cost businesses dearly in lost productivity and revenue. These disruptions have also prompted them to explore alternative solutions like Starlink. In the wake of recent widespread internet outages across Africa, caused by multiple subsea cable failures off the coast of Abidjan in Côte d'Ivoire, the critical need for resilient internet infrastructure has been starkly highlighted.

The disruptions, impacting key cables like the West Africa Cable System (WACS), South Atlantic-3 (SAT-3), MainOne, and the Africa Coast to Europe (ACE), have had far-reaching effects, impairing connectivity for a myriad of nations including Côte d'Ivoire, Liberia, Benin, Ghana, Burkina Faso, and extending to various Southern African countries.

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The recent disruptions in internet connectivity across Africa, caused by submarine cable cuts, have highlighted the need for businesses to diversify their digital infrastructure. The collaborative venture between Armada and Starlink emerges as a groundbreaking initiative in this context of infrastructural fragility.

Armada, with its pioneering edge computing platforms, is at the forefront of decentralizing data processing and connectivity. When combined with Starlink's state-of-the-art satellite internet technology, this partnership paves the way for a robust, distributed system designed to withstand and swiftly adapt to the challenges posed by such significant outages.

Read also: Overview of Chad ISPs

As businesses explore alternative solutions, Starlink has emerged as a potential option, particularly for those in remote locations where traditional internet access might be limited. However, Starlink's pricing and fair use policies require careful consideration for South African businesses.

Understanding Internet Shutdowns

It's important to differentiate between an outage and a shutdown. An outage is when an error or accident occurs and the internet goes off as a result, for instance in times of extreme weather where infrastructure is destroyed, or in the case of maintenance repairs. A shutdown, on the other hand, is the deliberate turning off of the internet to control a population or the information flow surrounding a situation, and is often orchestrated by some form of authority.

There are two ways that governments can turn off access to the internet. They can either rely on what’s called a routing disruption, which is to stop the transmission of information altogether, meaning people using the internet can’t connect to it, and information being sent will not find its destination. This is largely what we’ve seen across the continent, particularly in the case of Sudan and eSwatini.

One of the most prominent internet crackdowns in recent history was that of the Arab Spring pro-democracy protests. Egypt’s authorities at the time caught on to the fact that demonstrators were using the internet to mobilize and multiply the protest movement, and so they shut off the internet - directly impacting access to an open civic space for the right to protest and speak freely.

A similar thing happened in the last African monarchy-state, eSwatini, in 2021, when pro-democracy and anti-police brutality protests erupted, the state shut down the internet citing “security reasons”, depriving children of their education, businesses of their income, and citizens alike of their free speech.

The Impact of Internet Shutdowns

Internet blackouts in the country have heavily impacted people’s lives, but their impacts are a lot worse than you can imagine. The loss of the internet has also meant that conflict-related atrocities can continue without being reported.

Advocacy organization, Access Now, has consistently kept tabs on the violent impacts of shutdowns in Sudan. The organization noted that in 2021, the day before a pro-democracy protest was to take place, the internet was cut off along with phone and SMS services. The protest continued regardless. With citizens having no ability to transmit information inside or outside of Sudan, authorities took the opportunity to crack down physically on protesters. At least 17 people were killed, and 250 people were injured as a result.

The government went so far as to suspend the license of a broadcaster during the election period in Feb. 2024. Speaking to Global Citizen on the internet blackout in Senegal, the African head of the International Federation of Journalists, Louis Thomasi said: “Political interference is really putting a dent in qualitative journalism. If you look at what’s happening in Africa all over, it is now a norm that during election periods, the internet will be cut off. Even yesterday again [13 Feb. 2024] in Dakar, in Senegal, the internet was cut off.” “It’s a deliberate attempt to suppress freedom of expression and media freedom in general,” he added.

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Balancing Local and Cloud-Based Solutions

When it comes to file hosting, businesses are reevaluating the balance between locally hosted files and cloud-based solutions. While cloud-based solutions offer flexibility and accessibility, they rely heavily on internet connectivity.

The recent disruptions have shown that relying solely on cloud-based solutions may leave businesses vulnerable to outages. On the other hand, locally hosted files offer more control and may be less affected by internet disruptions.

By hosting critical files locally on servers within South Africa, businesses can ensure continued access to important data even during internet outages. However, this approach may require additional investment in infrastructure, security measures like backups and encryption, and dedicated IT personnel to manage the system.

In South Africa, users are reporting issues with workflow management platforms like Slack and Trello and have taken to Downdetector to report outages. Reports from the BBC suggest that even a number of major international banks have been affected by the outage.

Exploring Alternative Solutions

As businesses navigate internet disruptions, it's essential to consider a mix of solutions that best suit their needs.

Local Internet Service Providers (ISPs): Research reliable local ISPs offering robust internet infrastructure and diverse connection options (e.g., fiber optic, fixed wireless).
Data Centers: Consider partnering with local data centers that offer secure and reliable data storage solutions, potentially with built-in redundancy options.

By diversifying their digital infrastructure, considering the trade-offs between local and cloud-based solutions, and carefully evaluating Starlink as an option for specific needs, businesses can ensure continuity of operations even during challenging times.

Armada and Starlink: A Resilient Solution

The Power of Distributed Systems Armada's distributed system, underpinned by advanced edge computing and a comprehensive full-stack infrastructure, offers a forward-thinking solution to the challenges exposed by the cable failures. By decentralizing connectivity and data processing, Armada ensures that essential internet and communication services remain uninterrupted, regardless of undersea cable vulnerabilities.

In response to the connectivity crisis, Commander Connect, a product of the Armada-Starlink collaboration, stands out as a revolutionary solution. It harnesses the unparalleled coverage and reliability of Starlink's satellite internet network, integrated seamlessly with Armada's edge computing capabilities through the Commander platform. This integration offers an innovative approach to maintaining seamless connectivity, especially in regions most susceptible to infrastructure disruptions.

Starlink

Dan Wright, CEO of Armada, emphasizes the strategic importance of the partnership and the Commander Connect solution in addressing current and future connectivity challenges: "The recent disruptions highlight the critical need for a resilient, globally distributed connectivity solution. Through our collaboration with Starlink, and the deployment of Commander Connect, we are setting a new standard for internet resilience, ensuring our customers stay connected against all odds. Our mission extends beyond mere connectivity; we aim to empower every corner of the globe with reliable, uninterrupted access to the digital world."

Commander Connect: Bridging the Digital Divide

Commander Connect, powered by the synergy between Armada's edge computing technology and Starlink's global satellite network, stands as a testament to what modern connectivity solutions can achieve. Unlike traditional methods that depend on physical infrastructures prone to disruptions, Commander Connect operates beyond these limitations, offering a satellite-based network that ensures continuous internet access.

When traditional cables are compromised, resulting in widespread connectivity losses, Commander Connect steps in to bridge the gap. It doesn't just reroute data traffic through unaffected cables but provides an entirely independent pathway for internet access. This capability is crucial, especially in areas completely cut off from the global internet backbone due to cable failures.

Armada's approach goes beyond mere rerouting. It's about establishing an entirely new conduit for connectivity, one that's impervious to the physical damage that plagues undersea cables. In moments of total connectivity loss, Armada's solution doesn't just mitigate the impact; it eradicates downtime, ensuring that businesses, governments, and communities remain online and operational.

This level of continuity is vital for critical services and industries that rely on uninterrupted internet access. From healthcare and emergency services to finance and education, Commander Connect ensures that essential functions continue without a hitch, providing a stable and reliable internet connection that's indispensable in today's digital world.

The Timeline for Repairing Damaged Cables

Disruption to internet services for millions of users in Africa could take weeks or even months to fix, following damage to undersea cables off the continent’s west coast. Eight West African countries were suffering a second day of major connectivity issues on Friday with users in South Africa also affected, after damage to four sub-sea cables. The cause of the cable cutting was still not known, though a shifting of the seabed was among the likely possibilities.

“Repairs can take weeks to months, depending on where the damage is, what needs to be repaired, and local weather conditions,” said a spokesperson at internet analytics firm Cloudflare. “The assignment of repair ships depends on a number of factors, including ownership of the impacted cables.”

MTN Group - one of the largest wireless carriers in Africa - said that ACE and WACS have jointly initiated the repair process, and that they would send a vessel to fix the damaged cables. Orange Marine said the firm was one of the specialist companies that would be involved in the repair operations for the cables, adding that other companies are also involved in efforts to restore the various cables. It said the repair time is not yet known.

Ghana’s National Communications Authority said cable disruptions also occurred in Senegal and Portugal. “This has led to a significant degradation of data services across the country, with mobile network operators working around the clock to restore full services,” the authority said.