Pan-African network services provider Paratus Group and representatives from Angola’s government and tech industry have jointly announced that the company’s Angolan subsidiary, Internet Technologies Angola (ITA), will be rebranded as Paratus Angola from July 2022.

A statement released by the company late on the afternoon of 18 May 2022 confirmed the development and said it was officially announced at World Telecommunications Day, at the ITA sponsored Angola Tech Hub Forum.

The Angolan Ministry of Telecommunications, Information Technology, and Social Communication was represented at the event.

ITA was founded on 23 February 2003, and is a recognised, established independent network services provider in the North African country.

Paratus said the move to rebrand the organisation’s identity is part of its overall strategic plan “to create a technology hub in Angola as the group expands into new territories.”

Paratus plans to double revenue within the next five years, and will leverage resources, including offices in seven SADC countries; four datacentres (two of which are in Angola); five satellite teleports with more than 4 000 customer sites; the Equiano Cable landing station in Namibia; and “an extended network of fibre, wireless and satellite connectivity provides services in more than 30 African countries, complimented by international points of presence (PoPs) in Europe, the UK, and the USA.”

Group CEO Designate Schalk Erasmus said, “As a company born in Africa, we are committed to transform Africa through digital innovation, top quality technology, and seamless connectivity. Our expertise, motivation and dedication can better be mobilized under one brand in our quest to help shape a new and transformed continent where the efficient, affordable delivery of content is unlimited and available to all.”

Commenting on the rebrand, Paratus co-founder and Group CTO, Rolf Mendelsohn added: “This is the realisation of a dream which started 19 years ago. In 2022 we have finally connected all of Angola’s 18 provinces via terrestrial Fiber and Microwave infrastructure. We all know that technology changes fast. In recent years, digitisation has been accelerated tremendously. We can challenge traditional ways of working by delivering content efficiently and affordably. As a group, under one brand, we can galvanise our strengths to deliver our vision of creating a digitally transformed Africa and for Paratus Angola to become an effective data hub in Africa.”

Paratus Angola employs nearly 200 staff across its six operational offices covering the entire Angolan territory of 1,246,700 square kilometres.

ITA Managing Director, Francisco Pinto Leite said: “Internationalisation is vital for the region’s economy, and for some time, we have been investing heavily in quality infrastructure to make Paratus Angola a telecommunications hub for the region. We are ready to meet the challenges required for digital transformation and allow more institutions, public and private, to benefit from a quality network and telecommunications services in Africa.”

Mendelsohn added: “The future is digital and limitless. Welcome to Paratus Group, welcome to Paratus Angola. Welcome to the digital and limitless future.”