Zuku parent company Wananchi acquired by Axian Telecom

Yas (Axian Telecom Fibre), a subsidiary of Axian Telecom Holding and Management PLC, has finalized the acquisition of a 99.63 percent stake in Wananchi Group (Holdings) Ltd, in a move set to cement its leadership in the fibre broadband market across Africa.

Wananchi Group, the parent company of consumer brand Zuku and enterprise provider Simbanet, is among East Africa’s leading fixed broadband and enterprise connectivity firms.

The acquisition gives Yas access to more than one million homes across the region, significantly strengthening its fibre operations.

East Africa remains one of the fastest-growing broadband regions on the continent, driven by surging data consumption and rapid digital transformation among enterprises.

Yas said the integration of Wananchi positions it to tap into this growth by offering reliable, high-speed internet across Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, and Malawi, with plans to expand into neighbouring markets.

“Wananchi Group’s network, customer relationships, and local expertise align perfectly with our ambition to be a leader in broadband connectivity across Africa,” said Hassan Jaber, CEO of Axian Telecom.

“Axian Telecom already has a strong presence in East Africa, and this acquisition builds on our deep understanding of the region’s opportunities and needs while giving us access to new vibrant markets in Kenya and Uganda. Together, we will unlock new potential for growth, innovation, and value creation—delivering better access and new digital services for the communities and businesses we serve.”

Under the new ownership, Wananchi will benefit from enhanced investment capacity and Axian’s group-wide expertise to scale its services, including Fibre To The Home (FTTH), Software-Defined Wide Area Network (SD-WAN), and cloud connectivity solutions.

Bertrand Lacroix, CEO of Axian Telecom Fibre, said the move underscores Yas’s ambition to be a major broadband player on the continent.

“Our goal is to build a leading pan-African broadband connectivity provider, and Wananchi’s addition is a big step forward. We are committed to bringing high-speed Internet to millions more Africans,” he said.

“Our strong performance so far, doubling of our fixed broadband base and achieving double-digit revenue and EBITDA growth, shows the strength of our model.”

Yas already operates in Tanzania, Madagascar, Comoros, Senegal, and Togo. The integration of Wananchi will draw on Yas’s operational scale, investment power, and cross-market experience. The company said it will ensure continuity of employment and business operations during the transition.

Axian Telecom, which operates in 11 markets across Africa, is positioning Yas as a unified brand for its mobile and fixed network operations.

The company now serves more than 41 million customers and is recognized as Africa’s sixth-largest mobile operator.