In brief: South Africa’s largest fibre networks in 2025/2026 are Vumatel/Maziv (2.04 million homes passed), Openserve (1.454 million homes passed), Herotel (rural/peri-urban), Metrofibre, and Frogfoot. FTTH subscriptions reached 2.47 million in 2024 — up 65% year-on-year. Vox Telecom leads fixed broadband with average speeds of 96.8 Mbps.
South Africa’s fibre-to-the-home market has grown faster in 2024 than any previous year. With 2.47 million FTTH subscriptions at the end of 2024 — up from 1.49 million in 2023 — the country’s fibre infrastructure is now a legitimate enterprise-grade foundation for SA business connectivity. This is an updated guide to who builds and operates the biggest fibre networks in South Africa, and what it means for resellers and end customers.
South Africa FTTH Market Overview (2025)
- Total FTTH subscriptions (end-2024): 2.47 million (up 65% from 1.49 million in 2023)
- Revenue (2024): USD 1,209.4 million
- Revenue forecast (2030): USD 1,665.3 million (CAGR 5.6%)
- Urban penetration: Exceeds 20% in major metros
- Average SA fixed broadband speed: 48.34 Mbps (up 6% YoY); Vox leads at 96.8 Mbps
The Biggest Fibre Network Operators in South Africa
1. Maziv (Vumatel + Dark Fibre Africa)
The merger of Vumatel and Dark Fibre Africa (DFA) under the Maziv brand created South Africa’s largest fibre infrastructure operator.
- Vumatel: 2,040,231 homes passed; 864,208 homes connected (March 2025)
- DFA: 14,000+ km of fibre covering 85% of metropolitan areas; enterprise and carrier-grade services
- Combined network: The largest residential and commercial fibre footprint in SA
- Open access model: Multiple ISPs sell services over Maziv’s infrastructure — competition at the retail layer drives prices down
- Expansion focus: New township and peri-urban rollouts through the Jonga Platform for underserved areas
2. Openserve
Telkom’s network infrastructure division, Openserve operates the most geographically widespread fibre network in South Africa, including substantial coverage in smaller towns and rural areas that private operators have not yet reached.
- Homes passed: 1,454,000 (September 2025) — up 12.7% year-on-year
- Coverage: National footprint including secondary cities and towns; the only fibre operator with meaningful coverage outside major metros in many regions
- Wholesale access: Multiple ISPs resell on the Openserve network; important for SA resellers in secondary markets
- LTE/4G overlay: Openserve complements fibre with fixed-wireless in areas not yet reached by fibre
3. Herotel
Herotel is South Africa’s leading wireless and fibre operator specifically focused on rural, peri-urban, and secondary town markets that the major urban operators overlook. This makes Herotel uniquely positioned for telecoms resellers serving farming communities, small towns, and industrial areas outside Gauteng, Cape Town, and Durban.
- Strong presence in Free State, Northern Cape, Eastern Cape, and Western Cape rural areas
- Mix of FTTH, point-to-point wireless, and LTE networks depending on area
- Actively expanding FTTH in smaller towns as population density justifies the infrastructure investment
- Reseller-friendly: Herotel works with ISPs and resellers to bring connectivity to their coverage areas
4. Metrofibre Networx
Metrofibre operates an urban-focused FTTH network primarily in Gauteng, with open-access infrastructure enabling multiple ISPs to compete on retail pricing.
- Concentrated in Gauteng (Johannesburg, Pretoria, East Rand, West Rand)
- Open access enabling strong ISP competition on its infrastructure
- Known for aggressive suburban rollout in middle-income Gauteng areas
5. Frogfoot Networks
Frogfoot is an open-access FTTH network operator focused on residential and SME connectivity in urban and suburban South Africa.
- Open access model with multiple ISP partners
- Coverage in Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, and Western Cape urban areas
- Strong in middle-income residential areas
6. Clearaccess / Link Africa
Link Africa (previously ClearAccess) operates fibre networks in underserved areas including townships and peri-urban communities, with a social infrastructure mission alongside commercial operations.
7. Zoom Fibre
Zoom Fibre is an open-access fibre infrastructure provider primarily serving KwaZulu-Natal and growing into other provinces. Competitive pricing and strong KZN coverage make it a notable option for SA resellers in that market.
What “Open Access” Means for SA Resellers
Most SA fibre network operators (Maziv/Vumatel, Openserve, Metrofibre, Frogfoot, Zoom Fibre) operate on an open access model: they build and maintain the fibre infrastructure, and multiple ISPs (Afrihost, Vox, MWEB, Webafrica, Supersonic, and many others) sell connectivity services over it.
For SA telecoms resellers, this structure means:
- You can offer customers a choice of ISPs on the same infrastructure
- Switching ISPs (if a customer has a complaint) does not require a new fibre installation
- Wholesale ISP partnerships allow resellers to white-label fibre connectivity without owning infrastructure
- Price competition at the ISP layer creates downward pressure on retail connectivity pricing
Fibre Speed Benchmarks by Operator (2025)
| ISP on Fibre | Avg Download Speed | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Vox Telecom | 96.8 Mbps | SA fixed broadband speed leader |
| Afrihost | ~80 Mbps | Consistently high-performing consumer ISP |
| MWEB | ~70 Mbps | Wide network availability on multiple operators |
| National average (all fixed) | 48.34 Mbps | Up 6% YoY (ICASA 2025 report) |
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the biggest fibre network in South Africa?
Maziv (the merged entity of Vumatel and Dark Fibre Africa) is the largest, with over 2 million homes passed through the Vumatel network alone, plus 14,000 km of DFA metro and enterprise fibre. Openserve (Telkom’s network division) has the widest geographic reach with 1.454 million homes passed including secondary towns.
How many homes are connected to fibre in South Africa?
FTTH subscriptions reached 2.47 million by the end of 2024, up 65% from 1.49 million in 2023. Urban FTTH penetration exceeds 20% in major metros. Vumatel alone reports 864,208 connected homes as of March 2025.
Is fibre available in rural South Africa?
Fibre availability in rural SA is expanding but limited to areas where population density justifies infrastructure investment. Herotel is the most active operator in rural and peri-urban markets. In areas without fibre, fixed-wireless LTE (Herotel, Rain, MTN FWA) and increasingly Starlink satellite are the practical alternatives.
What is an open-access fibre network?
An open-access fibre network allows multiple ISPs to offer services over the same physical infrastructure. The network builder (e.g., Vumatel, Openserve, Metrofibre) provides wholesale access; ISPs (Afrihost, Vox, MWEB, etc.) compete on price and service at the retail layer. Most SA residential fibre networks are open access.
About the Author
Mechelle Gindra
Mechelle Gindra is the managing editor and lead content strategist at Telecoms-Channel, South Africa's dedicated intelligence platform for telecoms resellers, ICT distributors, and channel partners. She oversees the editorial team's AI-assisted content production pipeline, ensuring vendor news, market analysis, and regulatory updates are accurate, timely, and actionable for the SA telecoms channel community. With deep expertise in the South African telecoms reseller ecosystem, Mechelle directs coverage of vendor partner programmes, ICASA regulatory developments, wholesale market dynamics, and channel business strategy. She is responsible for maintaining Telecoms-Channel's editorial standards, fact-checking processes, and corrections policy.
