Earlier this year, Community Investment Ventures Holdings (CIVH), the Remgro (JSE: REM) and New GX-controlled parent company of fibre infrastructure operators Dark Fibre Africa (DFA) and Vumatel, announced that the two organisations have been brought together under a newly formed infrastructure company. CIVH has announced the identity of the parent company to its two fibre network assets – both will now be known as companies of MAZIV [MɅZIV].
CIVH chairman Pieter Uys said that this is revealed amidst impressive market performances by both operating companies within the CIVH group, with a 4.1% growth of DFA revenue to R2.5 billion – a result of the brand’s annuity income increase to R198 million per month as of 31 March 2022, from R192 million per month in the previous year. Subscriber growth was the main driver behind Vumatel’s substantial 26.3% revenue increase, to R3 billion.
According to Dietlof Mare, now chief executive officer of both Vumatel and MɅZIV, the concept behind the newly revealed parent company name – taken from the Greek ‘mazí, which translates to ‘together’ – encompasses the essence and identity of the growing entity perfectly.
About the consolidation, he says: “The strategic direction of MɅZIV, and its leading fibre market assets, Vumatel and DFA, will see the future path of the business continue to grow in its South African network coverage, and as a leader in the fibre-to-the-home (FTTH), fibre-to-the-business (FTTB) and fibre-to-the-tower (FTTT) sectors.”
“As the fibre market evolves and becomes a critical part of our country’s infrastructure, so do the exponential growth opportunities for MɅZIV and its subsidiaries. While Vumatel and DFA continue to operate as separate entities, the intentional formation of this parent company was a strategic move to streamline operations and consolidate infrastructure assets seamlessly, under one aligned strategy,” Mare says.
Organisational and structural changes have seen the two brands collaborating much more closely – proving to be a winning strategy for the organisations and their parent entities.
“Under the umbrella of MɅZIV, the DFA and Vumatel brands will grow from strength to strength in this highly competitive marketplace, offering unique and unsurpassed capabilities,” he continues. “Since its inception in 2014, Vumatel has passed over 1,6 million South African homes and connected over 600 schools across our communities with free, 1gbps uncapped fibre – supporting hundreds of thousands of learners and educators.” Meanwhile, DFA, which serves as the premier open access enterprise fibre provider to large telco and internet service providers in the country, continues to build on its current 13,800km of fibre assets.
Looking to the future, Mare explains: “Our focus for the South African market will always be to not only connect communities and sectors, but to be a driving force behind the innovation and economic stimulation that connectivity enables. “This organisational streamlining, as well as close brand collaboration between Vumatel and DFA, will enable us to create even more opportunities for inclusive, abundant access to the internet - unlocking the potential of people and communities, and creating the beginning of the end of the digital divide,” Mare concludes.
