Investment

Maziv promises major investment in network connectivity across South Africa

Maziv promises major investment in network connectivity across South Africa

South African open-access fibre network provider Maziv has announced a major investment to expand its network connectivity across South Africa over the next five to seven years.

Maziv, which owns a number of major brands in the country, including fibre network operator Vumatel and open-access fibre infrastructure and connectivity provider Dark Fibre Africa, committed to a R9 billion (about US$530 million) investment, with an additional pledge to create 10,000 new jobs, at the recent 2026 South African Investment Conference.

According to news resource MyBroadband, the company says it will prioritise low-income and underserved areas with the rollout of new fibre infrastructure and has promised to deliver high-quality broadband to these communities.

It also plans to provide 1Gbps free, uncapped internet access to every public or private school, public clinic and library within its network coverage area as part of its social mandate.

The 10,000 new job opportunities over the next seven years will either be created directly as part of the infrastructure rollout, or indirectly through the company’s partner ecosystem of local SMMEs, fibre installers and community-based service providers, many of which are likely to be involved in the expansion of its fibre network.

MyBroadband notes that the investment is good news for fibre rollout programmes in South Africa, which have slowed across the industry as companies struggled to secure capital for more infrastructure.

Capital expenditure across the industry apparently stagnated as a transaction through which operator Vodacom aimed to acquire a 30% stake in Maziv had trouble getting approval from the Competition Commission.

As we reported in November last year, the deal finally went ahead after a number of concessions were offered that allowed the Competition Commission to withdraw its objections to the transaction. It was then approved by telecommunications regulator ICASA.

The knock-on effect of the deal finally being allowed to proceed, it appears, has been to help unlock industry-wide investment, as this announcement indicates.



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