Paratus Group launches Paratus 500
Delivering unmatched cross-border connectivity across 15 African countries south of the equator.
Paratus Group launched “Paratus 500” – a defining milestone following the group’s expansion into seven additional African markets earlier this year, namely Eswatini, Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda and Zimbabwe.Paratus is now licensed to operate in 15 African countries. With this expansion, the group becomes one of the first pan-African telcos to cover over 500 million people south of the equator, representing more than one-third of Africa’s population and GDP.
Paratus 500 enables the group to uniquely connect its 15 licenced operations with a contiguous telecom network across its portfolio. This infrastructure spans diverse terrestrial fibre routes, strategic subsea cable landings, and advanced satellite integration, including Starlink, ensuring secure, scalable, and high-quality connectivity across sub-equatorial Africa.
Reflecting years of sustained investment in infrastructure, local subsidiaries, and strategic partnerships, Paratus 500 includes the East-West Connect route, stretching from the east coast of Africa in Maputo, through Johannesburg, across Botswana and Namibia, to the west coast at the Equiano Cable Landing Station in Swakopmund. The group operates five satellite teleports and maintains nearly 10 000 active satellite services, delivering dependable connectivity across every market in which it operates.
Terrestrial routes
Strategic terrestrial routes include connections from Johannesburg to Lubumbashi in southern DRC, passing through Zambia, Zimbabwe and Botswana. In Botswana, Paratus has deployed a fibre network across multiple towns to strengthen national reach and cross-border stability.
Subsea cable systems are a key component of the Paratus 500 ecosystem, with international landing points in Angola (Luanda), DRC (Kinshasa), France (Marseilles), Kenya (Nairobi), Portugal (Lisbon), UK (London), Mozambique (Maputo), Namibia (Windhoek), South Africa (Pretoria), and Tanzania (Dar es Salaam), providing direct access to global internet hubs. Paratus also connects across the Atlantic to Brazil (Fortaleza), the United States (Miami and New York), the Netherlands (Amsterdam), and the United Kingdom (London).
The Paratus Express Route, powered by the Equiano subsea cable, delivers the lowest-latency international connectivity from Johannesburg and Namibia to Europe and the USA, offering up to 20 times more capacity than previous West Coast cables.
Strengthening its regional reach further, Paratus has integrated LEO (Low Earth Orbit) satellite services into its offering. This technology enhances coverage and ensures consistent connectivity in underserved and remote areas where terrestrial infrastructure is limited or unavailable.
Milestone moment
Schalk Erasmus, Chief Executive Officer of Paratus Group, commented: "With Paratus 500, we now have the most coverage under licence in sub-equatorial Africa, a goal we have worked towards for many years. This milestone enables us to connect people and businesses across the region with reliable, high-quality network services. Our continued investment in fibre, satellite, and strategic partnerships empowers us to deliver scalable connectivity solutions to wholesale, enterprise, and individual customers – providing the freedom to connect anywhere, anytime."
Paratus 500 is the result of sustained investment in robust infrastructure, local operations, and strategic partnerships across the region. This foundation supports seamless connectivity solutions spanning fibre, satellite, microwave, SD-WAN, and MPLS technologies. Through this diversified network, Paratus delivers a resilient, scalable, and customer-focused connectivity platform designed to enable growth and opportunity across the region.