The massive national fibre grid laid down by Telkom over the past three decades is about to be roped in to expand rural connectivity.
Telkom began laying fibre-optic cables in the early to mid-1990s as part of building a national long-distance transmission network. This fibre backbone connected major cities, towns, and border points, supporting voice and data traffic, and later, internet services. It was primarily used for corporate, government, and inter-exchange telecommunications, rather than last-mile consumer access.
That began changing in the early 2000s when the network supported ADSL, leased fibre lines, and mobile backhaul for Telkom Mobile and later 8ta. In 2014 it launched Fibre to the Home (FTTH) services. Now, it is expanding that fibre access into some of South Africa’s most underserved communities, turning a government infrastructure contract into a broader drive to close the country’s long-standing digital divide.
Using the extensive infrastructure of its subsidiary, Openserve, which spans more than 180,000 kilometres throughout the country, as the backbone of connectivity, Telkom is assisting the South African government to broaden connectivity at pre-determined sites that currently do not have internet. The importance of this intervention by Telkom is that it will enable the government to extend a range of critical government services to citizens. By enabling more efficient government services, connectivity plays a crucial role in improving public service delivery and fostering trust in institutions.
“Connectivity isn’t just a technological convenience,” says Openserve chief commercial officer Makgosi Mabaso. “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 services. Through this project, we wanted to ensure that all South Africans benefit from connectivity.”
All nine provinces will benefit from this rollout, having a national impact on citizens across South Africa.
The digital divide in South Africa is well documented. It has featured in policy papers, academic research and Non-Government Organisation (NGO) 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.
Private sector investment has typically focused on cities and wealthier suburbs. Telkom says it is taking a different approach, aiming to balance commercial growth with digital inclusion.
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 to stay connected. It was a daily obstacle, not only a lack of coverage.
For small businesses in rural towns, connectivity opens the door to tools like online sales platforms, accounting software and cloud-based services. Fibre gives these businesses a better chance to survive and grow.