European Investment Bank Unveils US$100 Million Boost to AXIAN Telecom for Expanding 4G and 5G Networks in Tanzania and Madagascar

European Investment Bank Unveils US$100 Million Boost to AXIAN Telecom for Expanding 4G and 5G Networks in Tanzania and Madagascar

(IN BRIEF) The European Union, through its Global Gateway strategy, is set to expand mobile broadband connectivity in Madagascar and Tanzania. A financing package of US$100 million from the European Investment Bank will be provided to AXIAN Telecom, with US$60 million allocated for Tanzania and US$40 million for Madagascar. The investment will double 4G coverage and further roll out 5G services, thus enhancing access to high-speed communication and fostering digital inclusion. This project, backed by a European Commission guarantee, aims to reduce telecom disparities in emerging markets by supporting sustainable development and creating new economic opportunities, especially for the youth. The initiative has secured support from EU Ambassadors in both countries and is positioned as a key element of the EU’s Digital4Development initiative and Global Gateway strategy, which targets significant investments in the continent’s digital and physical infrastructure.

(PRESS RELEASE) LUXEMBOURG, 11-Apr-2025 — /EuropaWire/ — The European Union’s Global Gateway strategy is advancing investments in mobile broadband networks across Tanzania and Madagascar. This initiative is set to significantly enhance connectivity by roughly doubling the 4G footprint in both nations while also continuing the deployment of 5G sites.

Today, the European Investment Bank (EIB Global) unveiled a financing package worth US$100 million allocated to AXIAN Telecom. This funding will boost the expansion of mobile broadband infrastructure throughout Madagascar and Tanzania by enlarging the existing 4G network and facilitating the progressive integration of 5G technologies.

Backed by a budgetary guarantee from the European Commission, this Global Gateway investment is expected to expand high-speed communications across the region, thereby accelerating digital inclusion, fostering sustainable economic development, and mitigating disparities in telecom access across Africa and other emerging markets.

AXIAN Telecom, a major pan-African telecommunications provider, serves over 44 million customers and operates in nine countries within Sub-Saharan Africa. Its primary markets include Tanzania, Madagascar, Senegal, Togo, and Comoros, where the company runs both mobile and fixed network operations under the Yas brand.

In this funding arrangement, US$60 million is earmarked for projects in Tanzania and US$40 million for those in Madagascar. AXIAN Telecom’s CEO, Mr Hassan Jaber, remarked that the new financial injection will not only expand mobile infrastructure in the two countries, but it will also benefit millions by driving socio-economic growth, digital inclusion, and broader opportunities.

European Investment Bank Vice-President Ambroise Fayolle highlighted that enhanced digital connectivity paves the way for improvements in education, healthcare, business, and social integration. He stressed that this investment is a testament to the EIB’s commitment to supporting sustainable development and community empowerment via affordable high-speed communication access.

This expanded connectivity is critical for propelling socio-economic development and aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by underpinning economic growth, job creation, and innovation. Fragile communities, in particular, will gain better access to digital resources, fostering increased knowledge-sharing and the growth of e-commerce.

European Union Ambassadors to Madagascar and Tanzania have lent their support to this initiative. Laurent d’Ersu, Deputy Head of the EU Delegation to Madagascar and the Union of the Comoros, stated that the EU’s commitment through the EIB underscores the ongoing drive toward sustainable development in Madagascar, promising improved mobile connectivity and new opportunities for economic and social advancement. EU Ambassador to Tanzania, Ms Christine Grau, noted that this partnership, crucial to the government’s digital transformation agenda, exemplifies the EU’s belief that reinforcing public-private collaborations is essential to ensuring no community is left behind.

As a leading financier for digitalisation in Africa and emerging markets, EIB Global’s initiative is also part of the EU’s Digital4Development (D4D) project launched in 2017. This effort contributes to the broader Global Gateway strategy that aims to mobilise up to €150 billion by 2030 for both physical and digital infrastructure projects throughout Africa. Working in concert with local stakeholders, telecom operators, and government bodies, EIB Global is focused on creating an inclusive and resilient digital ecosystem that will catalyse growth, especially among the continent’s young, dynamic populations.

Background information

About EIB Global

The European Investment Bank (ElB) is the long-term lending institution of the European Union, owned by its Member States. It finances investments that contribute to EU policy objectives.

EIB Global is the EIB Group’s specialised arm devoted to increasing the impact of international partnerships and development finance, and a key partner of Global Gateway. We aim to support €100 billion of investment by the end of 2027 — around one-third of the overall target of this EU initiative. Within Team Europe, EIB Global fosters strong, focused partnerships alongside fellow development finance institutions and civil society. EIB Global brings the EIB Group closer to people, companies and institutions through our offices across the world. High-quality, up-to-date photos of our headquarters for media use are available here.

About Global Gateway

The Global Gateway strategy is the EU’s positive offer to reduce the worldwide investment disparity and boost smart, clean and secure connections in digital, energy and transport sectors, and to strengthen health, education and research systems. In a Team Europe approach that brings together the European Union, EU Member States, and European development finance institutions, together we aim to mobilise up to €300 billion in public and private investments from 2021 to 2027, creating essential links rather than dependencies, and closing the global investment gap.

The EU-Africa Global Gateway investment package consists of €150 billion in investments to help accelerate Africa’s digital and green transition as well as support sustainable jobs growth and stronger health systems. More information on the investment package as well as country specific flagships can be found here.

About AXIAN Telecom:

AXIAN Telecom is a pan-African telecommunications service provider operating in nine markets through its subsidiaries and affiliates in Tanzania, Madagascar, Togo, Uganda, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Senegal, Réunion, Mayotte, and the Comoros. It operates across three key business segments, providing mobile and fixed networks as well as digital infrastructure and mobile financial services.

AXIAN Telecom has unified its mobile network operators in Madagascar, Comoros, Senegal, Togo and Tanzania under a single brand, Yas, while its fintech operations in Tanzania, Togo and Senegal are now branded as Mixx by Yas. The Yas brand aligns to AXIAN Telcom’s aim to create a pan-African powerhouse which brings a more streamlined customer experience and innovations that are solutions driven with real impact.

Yas positions itself as a trusted partner, dedicated to helping customers unlock their digital potential. By uniting its operations under one brand, AXIAN Telecom can better serve its customers leveraging the combined resources and assets of a strong, unified pan-African business under one brand.

AXIAN Telecom is Africa’s 6th largest mobile operator serving more than 44 million customers and is a market disruptor, having expanded through active acquisitions and heavy network investments since 2015.  The group systematically ensures that its businesses have a sustainable and positive impact on the daily lives of millions of people.

Media Contacts:

Harriet Kwamboka
h.ongaki@eib.org
+ 254 114106871

Susanna Seymour
s.seymour@eib.org
+352 4379 – 87207

Press Office

press@eib.org
+352 43791

SOURCE: European Investment Bank