Undersea cable crisis: What happened to WACS?

Loading player...
Stacey and J Sbu are joined by Jan Vermeulen, editor at MyBroadband, to break down the recent internet disruptions caused by a fault in the West Africa Cable System (WACS).

Jan explains how a damaged branching unit off the coast of Namibia led to emergency repairs, what this means for South African internet users, and why some service providers were hit harder than others.

From underwater diagnostics to redundancy planning and the role of major tech players like Google and Meta, this episode dives into the complex world of undersea internet infrastructure and why most of us barely noticed it was broken.
10 Jun 2025 English South Africa Society & Culture · Personal Journals

Other recent episodes

Mothers and their sons: Where do we draw the line?

This week on the Great Drive Debate, we’re stepping into a conversation that’s as sensitive as it is real: mothers and their sons, where do we draw the line? Because for many, that bond is unbreakable. It’s built on love, sacrifice, and years of support. However, at some point, every…
14 Apr 12 min

Is having visible armed security at malls the solution?

This past Sunday, a normal shopping day quickly turned into chaos at a local mall. Gunshots rang out inside one of the busiest malls in the province, as heavily armed suspects hit a jewellery store. Shoppers ran for cover, businesses shut their doors, and in the middle of it all,…
13 Apr 12 min

Parent’s Hotline: Your biggest parenting hack that actually works

Every Wednesday the little ones of our province melt our airwaves with their cuteness. It’s a chance for the kids of KZN to share something with us. However, they are about to go on holiday, meaning when vacation mode has been activated it becomes really hard to reach them. This…
8 Apr 6 min

"My husband and I chose freedom over stability"

Every Thursday, Stacey and J Sbu detail some of the wildest confessions from the streets of Mzansi. We get YOU to weigh in on your unfiltered thoughts. Anonymous said: “My husband and I chose freedom over stability. We both work for ourselves, but now I’m terrified we’ve made a mistake…
2 Apr 9 min