The title is "First-ever fiber optic cable between U.S. and India via Brazil and South Africa". You explain the individual segments. I still don't see the appeal of the entire route.
It doesn’t read like they got together beforehand to discuss the best way to connect New York and Puducherry, rather they were both making connections to South Africa and chose to connect their new routes together afterwards.
It’s an odd way for an African news agency to write about two major undersea cables landing in South Africa.
(admittedly i'm not in the loop on what was there already)