Vodacom has received approval to acquire a co-controlling stake in Maziv, the company behind Vumatel and Dark Fibre Africa. The decision follows three and a half years of negotiations, court battles, and regulatory review, with authorities attaching strict conditions to address competition concerns in fibre-to-the-home and fixed-wireless services.
The deal requires Maziv to keep its fibre network open for use by smaller internet providers. This means they can offer services without having to build their own cables, which helps keep broadband prices competitive.
Maziv must also give free fibre connections to public libraries, clinics, and police stations.