Dietlof Marey, CEO of Maziv. (Image: supplied)
open access fiber network Provider Maziv pledges R9 billion investment in sixth place South Africa Investment Conference (SAIC).
This, as South Africa enters a new phase of development, the country has secured the highest number of investment commitments ever in SAIC.
Closing the conference in Sandton yesterday, President Cyril Ramaphosa said the scale of the pledges, both in value and number of projects, marked a significant milestone since the launch of the investment campaign in 2018.
The President said, “The cumulative value of pledges made at this conference is the highest we have achieved since the first South Africa Investment Conference. It is also the highest number of projects. The majority of this is domestic capital, reflecting the strong and growing confidence of South African investors in our own economy.”
The large share of commitments from domestic investors was complemented by a sharp increase in the participation of foreign direct investment and development finance institutions.
Ramaphosa said the breadth of investment across all nine provinces shows that growth is no longer concentrated but increasingly distributed across the country's economic landscape.
Key announcements include a R10.4 billion investment by Toyota in KwaZulu-Natal to support the energy transition of the automotive sector, while Sasol invested R60 billion to modernize operations in Mpumalanga and the Free State.
Other investments include mining, renewable energy, infrastructure and global business services, with projects expected to create thousands of jobs, such as Teleperformance's R145 million investment set to create 2,600 employment opportunities.
In a statement, Maziv, parent company of fiber network operators Vumatel and Dark Fiber Africa, says its significant capital commitment over the next five years will accelerate the country's high-speed rollout. digital roll out. This includes a dedicated pledge to create 10,000 direct and indirect employment opportunities in seven years.
The pledge follows the approval by the Competition Commission and ICASA of the acquisition of Vodacom's 30% stake in Maziv.
When the deal was approved last year, Vodacom and Maziv Committed Investing R12 billion in fiber rollout in South Africa.
“Investment is a powerful catalyst for digital inclusion. It's about more than infrastructure; it's about changing lives. By bringing high-speed connectivity to every corner of the country, we're ensuring that more people than ever before can participate in the digital economy,” says Dietlof Mare, CEO of Maziv.
Maziv says its rollout plan will prioritize low-income and underserved areas, ensuring residents have access to high-quality broadband.
As part of its social mandate, Maziv will also provide 1 Gbps of free, uncapped access to every public or private school, public clinic and public library passed by its network.
According to the company, the 10,000 jobs will include direct and indirect employment opportunities through the ecosystem of local SMME partners, installers and community-based service providers.
It said the initiative aims to promote specialized technical skills and support small business growth across South Africa.
“Our commitment today is a vote of confidence in South Africa’s digital future,” says Mare. “By enhancing our infrastructure through this R9 billion investment, we are creating a foundation for economic participation. We are proud to be creating tangible value and ensuring that world-class connectivity is accessible to all South Africans.”