20 September 2022

South African fibre internet provider RocketNet signed a partnership agreement with broadband provider Vumatel (Vuma) to reduce costs and improve internet access in the country.

In a statement, the two companies say they are offering free installations and providing service activation for households that are not yet connected to fibre. It is understood the bundle will save customers an upfront fee of R3,000 (US$173).

According to RocketNet, close collaboration between telecom partners is needed to accelerate the affordability and adoption of internet access for South African citizens, as it has become critical to the economy. According to DataReportal, South Africa had 41.19 million internet users as of January 2022, a penetration rate of 68.2%. That means 19.21 million South Africans were not connected to the internet at the beginning of 2022.

"What's important is to get citizens to integrate by lowering the barriers to entry. Once online, a world of opportunity opens up for education and business," said Warren Thomas, director of sales and marketing at RocketNet. "Access to the Internet provides access to opportunities. We are passionate about connecting people and partnering with companies that share that value."