Africa’s Internet Bottleneck: How IXPs Can Cut Costs and Boost Speeds Across the Continent

Africa’s internet problem isn’t just about access – it’s about inefficiency baked into the system. In 2024, only 38% of the continent’s population was online, and even those connected often pay more for slower speeds than users elsewhere. A major, under-discussed reason is how data moves: in many cases, traffic between neighboring cities – or even within the same country – travels thousands of kilometers overseas before returning. This unnecessary detour inflates costs and degrades performance. The fix isn’t abstract policy reform; it’s practical infrastructure. Expanding local Internet Exchange Points (IXPs) could dramatically cut costs and improve speeds almost overnight.

When traffic from Nairobi to Kampala routes through London before coming back, users pay international transit costs for a local conversation. That’s not a policy failure. It’s a plumbing problem – and it’s solvable.

$50,000 for Internet Exchange Point Infrastructure

The Sustainable Peering Infrastructure (SPI) Grant Program funds community-led IXP infrastructure in underserved regions. This year’s priority focus is Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and Small Island Developing States (SIDS), though organizations worldwide may apply.

IXPs enable local exchange of Internet traffic instead of routing through expensive international transit, making access more affordable and improving quality through more direct network connections.

The evidence is compelling: countries like South Africa, Kenya, and Nigeria—each with more than three active IXPs – now exchange 70–80% of their internet traffic locally. The result is faster speeds, lower latency, and reduced costs for consumers. Yet 16 African countries still operate without a single IXP, even as demand for broadband continues to surge.

The SPI program offers two grant tracks:

• IXP Support: USD $50,000 to establish new Internet Exchange Points or expand existing ones within local digital ecosystems.
• Peering Ecosystem Support: USD $25,000 for initiatives that strengthen the broader peering community through events, training, and collaboration.

For organizations working on internet infrastructure in underserved markets, this is a rare opportunity. Whether launching a new IXP, scaling an existing one, or building regional peering capacity, eligible projects can unlock meaningful, long-term impact.

Apply Now — Deadline: April 23, 2026