Communications minister Solly Malatsi. Image: DCDT The merger between state-owned signal distributor Sentech and Broadband Infraco (BBI) – the ailing fibre wholesaler meant to serve as South Africa’s “carrier of carriers” – has been pushed out to the 2028/2029 financial year, more than a decade after the idea was first put forward. The updated plan,…
Capitec Bank’s mobile virtual network operator, Capitec Connect, more than doubled its net income contribution to R442-million in the year to 28 February 2026, as subscribers, data traffic and voice minutes all surged. The Cell C-hosted operator, which launched in late 2022, reported 1.5 million clients active in the past three months of the reporting…
South Africa’s broadband market is shifting toward fixed wireless growth. (Image created using ChatGPT) Fixed wireless access (FWA) is increasingly gaining ground in South Africa’s broadband mix, emerging as a fast-scaling alternative alongside fibre. This, as local operators respond to the rising demand for household connectivity. A new Opensignal report shows how competition is intensifying…
South Africa’s broadband access market is expected to reach R82.8-billion in revenue by 2029, with 3.7 million new active subscriptions, according to the latest SA Broadband Report from ICT analyst firm BMIT. The headline growth rate – a compound annual growth rate of 8.6% – is driven overwhelmingly by the residential market, where both fibre-to-the-home…
For the first time, South Africa has a map of where broadband infrastructure actually reaches – and where it doesn’t. The tool, a geospatial information system (GIS), was developed as part of the South Africa Digital Infrastructure Investment Study (Sadis) 2025, commissioned by the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) and the National Planning Commission….
Communications minister Solly Malatsi. Photo: Lerato Sepotokele/DCDT Communications minister Solly Malatsi on Thursday published a draft policy direction aimed at cutting the red tape that has long frustrated network operators trying to roll out broadband infrastructure across South Africa. The draft, published in the Government Gazette, directs communications regulator Icasa to overhaul the country’s decade-old…
MTN South Africa’s Zoltan Miklos MTN South Africa and US-based Pivotal Commware have completed joint field trials showing how 5G millimetre-wave (mmWave) repeater technology can significantly expand broadband reach for fixed-wireless access customers. The trials, initiated in 2024, tested Pivotal’s “Pivot” 5G repeaters at three locations in Vanderbijlpark in Gauteng and Seshego in Limpopo. The…
Broadband Infraco, which painted a dismal picture of its financial well-being in parliament on Tuesday, has revealed it is on a mission to win back one of its most lucrative contracts – with the State IT Agency (Sita). Parliament’s communications & digital technologies portfolio committee was told by executives of the state-owned company, which provides…
Ilitha Telecoms CEO Vuyani Jarana Investing in digital infrastructure, particularly fibre broadband, could help South Africa ease long-term fiscal pressures by reducing costs in education, healthcare and public services. That’s the view of Vuyani Jarana, founder and CEO of Ilitha Telecoms, a company focused on deploying broadband in underserviced areas in South Africa. Jarana –…
Uncapped fibre internet for R5/day? It’s a reality in parts of South Africa as broadband providers push affordable fibre into communities long underserved by traditional fixed-line networks. What was once the preserve of affluent suburbs is now creeping into dense urban and township footprints, powered by new pricing models, new deployment strategies and a business…
