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Fibre Expansion in South Africa Slows in 2025: What You Need to Know

Fibre expansion in South Africa is slowing down in 2025, with major fibre network operators (FNOs) like Vumatel, MetroFibre, and Herotel focusing on increasing connections in existing coverage areas rather than large-scale rollouts.
This marks a continuation of the slowdown seen in 2024, following years of rapid growth driven by high demand for reliable Internet in profitable regions.
Limited Expansion Plans for 2025
Several FNOs have outlined cautious expansion strategies for the year ahead, with a focus on nearby, affluent suburbs and underserved low-income areas. Here’s what key players are saying:
Vumatel
- Coverage Strategy: South Africa’s largest FNO, Vumatel, plans to expand only where there’s clear demand. The operator views middle-income and affluent areas as saturated and sees greater potential in regions with household incomes below R30,000.
- Homes Passed and Connected: Vumatel reported over 2 million homes passed by late 2023, with nearly 1 million homes connected, reflecting a shift toward increasing its connection rate rather than expanding coverage.
Herotel
- Focused Growth: Herotel has increased homes connected to its network by an impressive 37%, reaching 213,883 homes. Its focus remains on small towns, nearby business zones, and a handful of residential expansions.
- New Services: The company is diversifying its offerings with partnerships, such as solar rental services with GoSolr and affordable healthcare access through Kena Health.
MetroFibre
- Asset Optimization: MetroFibre aims to “sweat” its assets by boosting network penetration and efficiency. The operator’s 510,000 homes passed and 172,000 homes connected reflect a push toward better utilization of existing infrastructure.
- Targeting Underserved Areas: Expansion will focus on underserved communities near current networks, with growth opportunities driven by customer demand.
Frogfoot
- Prepaid Focus: Frogfoot is concentrating on prepaid FTTH services to reach underserved areas and strengthen service quality in its 406,000 homes passed.
Why the Slowdown?
The fibre rollout deceleration stems from multiple factors:
- Saturation in Core Suburbs: High-income areas now have numerous connectivity options, limiting further expansion opportunities.
- Focus on Connection Ratios: Operators are shifting priorities to maximize connections within existing coverage areas to improve profitability.
- Cost of Expansion: Expanding into underserved or less profitable areas is often only viable with significant demand or government incentives.
Opportunities for Underserved Areas
Despite the slowdown, there is still potential for expansion in low-income and rural areas. Residents in these areas are encouraged to register their interest with FNOs and rally support from neighbors to demonstrate demand.
Operators like Vumatel and Frogfoot have indicated willingness to expand into such regions if investment feasibility is evident.
Diversifying Services
To stay competitive and enhance profitability, FNOs are exploring value-added services:
- Herotel’s Healthcare Initiative: Affordable online consultations through Kena Health.
- Solar Energy Solutions: Partnerships with providers like GoSolr.
- Future Services: Potential offerings in security and other innovations.
What This Means for South Africans
For those in areas already covered by fibre networks, expect improved service quality and more competitive pricing as FNOs fight to increase customer retention.
For underserved regions, proactive community engagement with FNOs could open doors to future expansion, albeit at a slower pace than previous years.
The fibre rollout slowdown in South Africa reflects a mature market where FNOs are prioritizing connection ratios and profitability over rapid network expansion. However, opportunities still exist for underserved areas and innovative service offerings.
If you’re looking to bring fibre to your area, now is the time to rally your community and engage with FNOs to make it happen.
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