MAWINGU EXPANDS INTERNET REACH

Kenyan internet service provider company Mawingu has secured a $20 million (Ksh.2.6 billion) investment from Pembani Remgro Infrastructure Fund II (PRIF II) to expand available digital infrastructure across Africa.

The 2012-started start-up provides shared internet packs in rural and peri-urban areas, targeting homes and small-scale businesses, as well as dedicated linkages and services for large-scale business.

PRIF II is an African infrastructure investment fund by Pembani Remgro Infrastructure Managers of South Africa, and the investment is a major milestone in Mawingu's strategy for long-term development to cover 1 million people across the continent in 2028.

Mawingu CEO Farouk Ramji also stated that they hope to accomplish this by combining strategic local ISP acquisitions with investments in the rollout of digital infrastructure into long-overlooked regions due to their high cost and geographical inaccessibility.
He said Mawingu is following a "buy-and-build" approach, which combines the purchase of profitable local ISPs with the growth of sustainable networks that can penetrate hard-to-reach communities.

The company's recent expansion was by the 2024 acquisition of Tanzanian ISP Habari, renamed under Mawingu's umbrella.

This followed a $15 million investment by AfricaGoGreen Fund, InfraCo Africa, and the FMO.

Following the acquisition, Mawingu obtained a national operating license in Tanzania and states that it has since onboarded over 3,000 home subscribers.
As of June 2025, the Communication Authority (CA) data showed that Mawingu was the seventh largest internet service provider in Kenya at a market share of 3.6%, after Safaricom (34.3%), Jamii Telecommunications (20.6%), Wananchi Group (12.7%), Poa Internet 12.5%), Ahadi Wireless (7.5%), and Vilcom Network (4.1%).