In a move set to redefine the future of integrated business solutions in Africa, Albert Oosthuysen, Evotel and Net Nine Nine Group CEO, has officially launched CYNK, a new holding company formed through the strategic merger of five high-impact enterprises across the technology and investment sectors.
Albert Oosthuysen
CYNK, officially launched on Friday, 11 July 2025 in Sandton, Johannesburg, represents a bold new vision for business collaboration, bringing together five distinct companies under one powerful brand to deliver unified solutions for a fast-changing world.
The launch was strategically timed to coincide with the celebration of leading fibre network operator (FNO) Evotel’s 10-year anniversary and fast-growing internet service provider (ISP) Net Nine Nine’s five-year milestone. Together, the two companies have a strong presence in eight provinces across the country.
Designed to break down silos and foster innovation and collaboration, CYNK, which simply syncs all companies into one body, positions itself as a multi-disciplinary powerhouse ready to serve both corporate clients and government sectors. Most importantly, they aim to bring service to the underserved communities across South Africa.
Upon announcing the breaking news in front of shareholders, board members and stakeholders, Oosthuysen reminded everyone present about the achievements of both Net Nine Nine and Evotel, then discarded his speech notes, to deliver a heartfelt thank you to all the staff that have been working to ensure the businesses success.
He said CYNK is more than a company, it’s a shared vision which will combine strengths from across all the companies they are building, a platform that’s agile, scalable, and deeply rooted in African innovation.
The companies that make up the newly launched CYNK holding company are as follows:
- Net Nine Nine – a leading South African ISP that leverages an innovative business model to deliver tangible change in underserved communities using fibre Internet.
- Evotel – an open-access fibre network operator (FNO) providing infrastructure in most cities across South Africa, serving both homes and businesses.
- Magnolia Fibre Tree – a closed-access fibre network operator dedicated to delivering stable, reliable, and high-performance fibre infrastructure to residential suburbs across the country.
- Internet for Education – an NPO designed to connect learners to the world. Every child deserves the opportunity to learn, grow, and compete on a global stage.
- LinkLayer – an open-access, high-speed fibre network operator, aimed at homes and businesses with a focus on building future-ready communities.
- RocketNet – a division of directel internet service provider (ISP) and licensed telecoms operator founded in 2001. It has been providing enterprise solutions on a business-to-business basis, purely focussed on the consumer experience.
The Group CEO’s overall view is that “it takes a village to raise a child, well, this child took many villages to come together to rise. So, today, I’d like to officially launch our holding company – CYNK,” Oosthuysen made the announcement to loud cheers.
“This is with a combined 400 000+ homes passed, 180 000+ live customers, employing over 600 local people and over 300 permanent staff, over 200 connected schools and many CSI projects under the belt. CYNK consists of Evotel, Linklayer, Magnolia Tree, NetNineNine.
“We’ve pushed hard in one way, then something else landed on our lap, which worked out way better towards our ultimate golden thread of care, love and passion. And with that I realised we were all in CYNK. So when pushed to come up with a name, one landed naturally – CYNK. We look forward to reaching over two million combined homes and over one million connected customers in the next three years.”
Among those present were key players in the success of the whole sync, such as Reflex CEO Paul Divall, Nokia MD, Toni Pellegrino, Alex Yuan, Huawei director of Integrated Systems Department, and CEO of Infinite Partners, Edward Pitsi.
Our partnering contractors were given credit for having played a vital role in advancing the successes of CYNK, and ensuring the groundwork for greater endeavours has been laid.
“Everyone here shares a common thread of wanting to make a difference. I’m grateful for all the guidance we’ve received, and I’m grateful for the common purpose of everyone who works here. With the groundwork that we’ve laid, there’s just greater things to come,” said Oosthuysen.
CYNK plans to create more job opportunities with a strong focus on empowering young professionals, women, and previously disadvantaged communities.
The company’s chief of staff, Nicholas Thipe, said they are also eyeing pan-African expansion, with neighbouring countries like Zimbabwe, Botswana, Eswatini, and others within the SADAC region being targeted.
About CYNK
We invest in businesses that are purpose driven to make a lasting impact and add value to the customer. We believe it’s possible to improve the world around us by making small meaningful impacts. We aim to do this by nurturing potential, passion and talent to improve the greater collective and help raise the tide for.
