<\/p>\n
Nearly R2 billion in funding for township-focused fibre operator Net Nine Nine will accelerate the rollout of connectivity across South Africa\u2019s lower-income areas as the group pushes to reach 1.5 million homes by 2028.<\/p>\n
Backed by RMB and a syndicate of lenders, the operator is targeting a segment where reliable, affordable internet options are still limited.<\/p>\n
Listen\/read:
Africa\u2019s digital future depends on closing the infrastructure gap
Customer sentiment is shaping the future of the telecoms industry [Sep 2025]
Four in five township businesses unregistered as economy nears R1trn [Oct 2025]<\/p>\n
Net Nine Nine, led by CEO Albert Oosthuysen, has secured R1.95 billion in syndicated funding arranged and underwritten by RMB.<\/p>\n
The package includes a R1.3 billion social loan facility aimed at expanding fibre-to-the-home connectivity in South Africa\u2019s township communities.<\/p>\n
From Kagiso to scale<\/strong><\/p>\n Net Nine Nine first rolled out in Kagiso, a township near Krugersdorp in Gauteng.<\/p>\n \u201cKagiso was our proof of concept,\u201d Oosthuysen tells Moneyweb, describing how the group initially connected between 5 000 and 10 000 homes before embarking on a funding roadshow.<\/p>\n A defining feature of the business model is its involvement of the communities in which it operates, according to Oosthuysen.<\/p>\n Community members are involved in construction, installations, maintenance, sales and retail operations.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n \u201cThe idea was to use local people to build, do installations and home drops for us.\u201d<\/p>\n This approach has shaped how the network expands.<\/p>\n After its initial rollout in Kagiso, the group began receiving requests to move into areas such as Westonaria on the West Rand and parts of Pretoria, often driven by local economic development groups or councillors.<\/p>\n The group already has a presence in eight of South Africa\u2019s nine provinces, with the Western Cape its next target for expansion, Oosthuysen says.<\/p>\n ADVERTISEMENT<\/p>\n CONTINUE READING BELOW<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Community dynamics\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n The expansion strategy relies heavily on building relationships within the areas where the group plans to operate.\u00a0Engagement in communities typically starts with an understanding of local dynamics before infrastructure is rolled out.<\/p>\n That process has not been without challenges. Oosthuysen recalls early setbacks in Rustenburg in North West province, where the group struggled to get projects off the ground despite having the necessary approvals.<\/p>\n \u201cWe had the wayleaves and everything, but we just couldn\u2019t proceed.\u201d<\/p>\n The turning point came after a local individual, Nicholas Thipe, advised them to work with the community.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n \u201cHe told us \u2018Give me a week to sort it out\u2019 and he kept his promise. He helped to connect us with the municipal manager and we could get going.\u201d<\/p>\n Thipe soon joined the group, helping to reshape its approach.<\/p>\n \u201cThat opened our eyes. We now first find out what the dynamics are in the areas where we plan to roll out and then work with it,\u201d Oosthuysen says.<\/p>\n The company typically brings in an experienced contractor to support local teams with skills transfer and equipment. Once established, those teams are able to continue independently.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Sales and operations follow a similar model, with local sales teams recruited and trained, and community-based retail stores handling payments, queries and maintenance issues such as damaged poles or cut cables.<\/p>\n Model built for affordability<\/strong><\/p>\n The funding arranged by RMB is intended to accelerate this model, combining commercial objectives with measurable social impact, including job creation, improved access to education and broader participation in the digital economy.<\/p>\n South Africa\u2019s broadband gap remains most visible in lower-income areas, where mobile data is often the primary \u2013 and expensive \u2013 option. Net Nine Nine\u2019s model is designed to compete directly by offering uncapped fibre per household rather than per device.<\/p>\n Read: ADVERTISEMENT:<\/p>\n CONTINUE READING BELOW<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Packages range from R379 a month for 20 megabits per second (Mbps) to R699 for 100Mbps, with the 20Mbps and 50Mbps options the most popular.<\/p>\n Demand in township areas has exceeded that of more affluent suburbs, largely due to limited alternatives.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Net Nine Nine operates as both a fibre network operator and internet service provider. Combining these roles allows the business to lower costs.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you put the FNO [fibre network operator] and the ISP [internet service provider] together, you cut fat out of the system. And then you can lower the price,\u201d says\u00a0Oosthuysen<\/span>.<\/p>\n Branding<\/strong><\/p>\n Net Nine Nine sits alongside Evotel, which Oosthuysen founded in 2015 and which focuses on higher-income suburbs, within a holding company called Cynk.<\/p>\n The group as a whole has passed around 600 000 homes. Net Nine Nine itself\u00a0has already passed just over 350 000 homes<\/span>.<\/p>\n The group opted to launch a separate brand rather than extend Evotel into these areas, recognising that the pricing, product structure and customer proposition would need to differ.<\/p>\n \u201cEvotel\u2019s offering is for the \u2018leafy\u2019 suburbs and entering townships needed a lower-cost model, simpler product packaging and a rethink of how value is communicated to customers,\u201d says Oosthuysen.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n It has also allowed the business to strip out costs by combining infrastructure and service provision, while building a brand that would resonate more directly with its target market.<\/p>\n The Net Nine Nine brand itself reflects its positioning.<\/p>\n \u201cNine Nine in kasi language means \u2018for sure, for real\u2019,\u201d Oosthuysen explains.<\/p>\n Economic impact<\/strong><\/p>\n Oosthuysen shares two examples of Net Nine Nine\u2019s community impact.<\/p>\n ADVERTISEMENT:<\/p>\n CONTINUE READING BELOW<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n \u201cOne woman with an amagwinya [vetkoek] stall introduced a Wi-Fi hotspot to attract more customers.<\/p>\n \u201cIn Kagiso, an artist began marketing his work online \u2013 and two months later got an invitation to an exhibition in Sweden.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Beyond connectivity, the group has introduced initiatives aimed at extending access to digital tools. Schools in its coverage areas receive free high-quality internet connections, while an affiliated NGO, Internet for Education, has begun developing computer labs.<\/p>\n Oosthuysen says these efforts are not core to the business but form part of a broader shift in how the company engages with the areas it serves.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are trying to get the formal banking sector involved in the informal sector \u2013 we want to bridge it,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n Listen\/read:\u00a0South Africa\u2019s R1trn sector: Spaza shops, taxis and backrooms [Apr 2025]<\/p>\n The rollout model also creates employment across construction, operations and retail, with a significant portion of capital expenditure flowing directly into local economies.<\/p>\n Funding<\/strong><\/p>\n RMB\u2019s latest funding builds on earlier support of R850 million for Net Nine Nine\u2019s initial development.<\/p>\n The most recent round brings in additional lenders, including Investec and Absa, as part of a syndicated structure.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n The group estimates it will require around R5 billion in total to meet its rollout targets. Its pipeline for the next 12 months is fully funded, although build speed remains a key constraint.<\/p>\n In 2024, Net Nine Nine partnered with Infinite Partners, a BEE group backed by the Public Investment Corporation (PIC) that is now its majority shareholder.<\/p>\n On international expansion, Oosthuysen remains cautious. \u201cI don\u2019t yet know if we\u2019ll expand beyond borders, but there have definitely been invitations from other countries,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n #Net #targets #1.5m #homes #township #fibre #push<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Nearly R2 billion in funding for township-focused fibre operator Net Nine Nine will accelerate the rollout of connectivity across South Africa\u2019s lower-income areas as the group pushes to reach 1.5… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2542,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[4459,4461,2070,626,1162,4244,4460],"class_list":["post-2541","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-investing","tag-1-5m","tag-fibre","tag-homes","tag-net","tag-push","tag-targets","tag-township"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fintechpulse8.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2541","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fintechpulse8.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fintechpulse8.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fintechpulse8.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fintechpulse8.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2541"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.fintechpulse8.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2541\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fintechpulse8.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/2542"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fintechpulse8.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2541"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fintechpulse8.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2541"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fintechpulse8.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2541"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}\n
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