According to recent figures published by ICASA, the South African telecom regulator, fiber subscriptions reached 3 million households at the end of September 2025, representing a penetration rate of 15 percent over households. This marks a 7 percentage point increase in just two years and confirms that fiber has moved into a more accelerated growth phase. This milestone is particularly notable given the stagnation that followed the COVID period. Fiber penetration hovered between 7 percent and 8 percent until late 2023, when adoption began to accelerate. This increase reflects structural improvements in network availability rather than shifts in pricing. Entry level fiber packages remain in the range of 350 to 400 South African rand (21 to 24 USD), and retail prices have stayed broadly stable as network operators faced cost pressures. Infrastructure expansion has been the primary growth driver. The number of homes passed by fiber networks doubled between 2021 and 2025, largely due to ambitious rollout strategies from players such as Vumatel and Openserve. Increased coverage has translated (with delay) into higher take up rates. Market dynamics have also evolved. The entry of MTN into the consumer fiber segment in Q4 2023 added further momentum. Previously focused on wholesale infrastructure, MTN’s fiber retail push has contributed to broader market visibility and competition. Importantly, total fixed wired broadband subscriptions have now recovered to pre pandemic levels, showing that fiber is not only replacing legacy technologies but also restoring overall market growth.
