Private sector fibre investments are traditionally focused on cities and wealthier suburbs, whereas South Africa's Telkom is taking a different strategy, announcing an ambitious goal to balance economic growth with digital inclusiveness.
Telkom is boosting fibre connection to some of the country's most neglected communities, transforming a government infrastructure contract into a bigger push to bridge the long-standing digital gap.
Telkom said it is supporting the government in expanding connection at pre-determined places that now lack internet access by leveraging the massive in-frastructure of its subsidiary, Openserve, which extends more than 180 000 kil-ometres across the country.
The business asserted this move is significant since it will allow the government to provide citizens with a range of essential government services.
The telco said: “By enabling more efficient government services, connectivity plays a crucial role in improving public service delivery and fostering trust in institutions.”
Makgosi Mabaso, chief commercial officer at Openserve, added: “Connectivity isn't just a technological convenience – it's a driving force behind South Africa's economic growth. In our nation, connectivity's influence extends far beyond corporate borders.
“It's the invisible current energising our entire digital ecosystem, from the tap of a mobile payment to the click that delivers essential government ser-vices. Through this project, we wanted to ensure that all South Africans benefit from connectivity.”
The telco explained the rationale for focussing on underserved areas, saying that after first contracting to deploy fibre at government facilities, it immediately realised that nearby towns lacked dependable connectivity.
It went on to say: “Many of the sites were in rural areas where households and small businesses lacked access to affordable, high-speed internet. Telkom saw the opportunity to commercialise its Openserve network further by extending the rollout beyond government buildings to nearby homes, schools and micro busi-nesses, areas often left out of digital infrastructure plans. All nine provinces will benefit from this rollout, having a national impact on citizens across South Africa.”
According to Telkom, the digital divide in South Africa is well documented. It has featured in policy papers, academic research and Non-Government Organisation reports for more than a decade. Despite this, progress in closing the gap has been slow, particularly in rural areas.
“An estimated 15.35 million South Africans remain offline. In provinces like North West, nearly 23 percent of users rely solely on mobile data with no access to Wi-Fi. Rural download speeds are up to 14.4 percent slower than in urban areas, and users spend more time without signal. Time spent on 3G in rural regions dropped from 15.9 percent to 10.8 percent between 2022 and 2023, a sign of progress, but also of how far behind many communities still are,” Telkom said.
“The issue isn’t just about who has internet and who doesn’t. It’s about the quality of access, whether people can work, study, and participate meaningfully in the digital economy,” said Strini Mandri, national sales manager at Telkom Business. “If we want real inclusion, we have to invest in infrastructure where it’s needed most, not just where it’s most profitable.”
The company said in these rural areas, schools couldn’t support online learning, businesses struggled to operate, and families were forced to buy small amounts of mobile data just to stay connected. It was a daily obstacle, not just a lack of coverage.
Telkom responded to this need rather than waiting for the market to grow, said the business.
The company sees fibre as essential, something people need to work, learn and access basic services. Without it, entire communities remain shut out of modern life.
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