Big South African telecommunication firms such as MTN and Vodacom have had Twitter and Facebook accounts for years, but Telkom has only launched its social media campaign today.

The fixed-line operator, which is listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE), has announced that customers can communicate with the company via www.facebook.com/TelkomZa, @TelkomZA on Twitter, and on LinkedIn.

The move comes after Facebook and Twitter were respectively launched in 2004 and 2006. And in Telkom’s social media absence during that time, spoof Twitter accounts, such as @TelkomPR and @TelkomRSA, have emerged that parody the fixed line operator.

In a question posted to Telkom on Twitter about why it has taken so long for the company to unveil its social media accounts, the company says: “We wanted to make certain that all the correct systems were in place. We want to listen and respond quickly.”

The company on Twitter has gone on to say, “We do understand that we are late. We know the importance of social media, so we want to make certain that we deliver.”

South Africa's government owns almost 40% of Telkom, making it the company’s largest stakeholder, while SA government owned Public Investment Corporation (PIC) has a 10.89% stake in the firm.

Telkom had less than three million fixed-lines at the end of March last year, according to the company. Telkom also has a mobile arm called 8ta.