Kenyan Internet Service Provider Mawingu Acquires Tanzania’s Habari In Regional Expansion Drive

     By Lisbeth Micheni, Kenya 

Mawingu, a Kenyan internet service provider (ISP), has expanded internationally by acquiring Tanzanian ISP Habari.

This milestone comes after the company secured fresh funding of $15 million (Ksh.1.9 billion).

The company, established in 2012, offers internet services tailored to rural and peri-urban regions, focusing on households, small enterprises, and large organizations.

AfricaGoGreen Fund contributed $11 million (Ksh.1.4 billion) as long-term senior debt, while existing stakeholders InfraCo Africa and FMO provided $4 million (Ksh.518 million).

“This marks the beginning of our strategic and ambitious plan to impact the lives of a million East Africans by 2028,” Mawingu stated.

Habari, based in Arusha, has been operational in Tanzania for more than 25 years. Mawingu Chief Executive Officer Farouk Ramji noted that the additional funding would be critical in driving the firm’s growth and replication of its Kenyan success in Tanzania.

“With this funding, we aim to scale up operations and bring the model we’ve perfected in Kenya to the East African region,” said Ramji.

Mawingu currently ranks as Kenya’s fifth largest ISP with a 2% market share, according to data from the Communications Authority (CA). The company trails Safaricom (36.4%), Jamii Telecom (24.0%), Wananchi Group (17%), and Poa Internet (13.2%).

In September, Ramji announced Mawingu’s focus on fibre and fixed wireless internet services, sectors dominated by Safaricom and Jamii. He told TechCabal that by the close of 2024, approximately 10% of Mawingu’s customers would have fibre connections.