BETAR Newsroom

190 posts
Reporting on African technology, policy and capital.

South Africa’s Biggest Fibre Deal Is Done. Now Parliament Wants to Know Why the Regulator Changed Its Mind.

  • March 30, 2026
  • 4 minute read
South Africa's Biggest Fibre Deal Is Done. Now Parliament Wants to Know Why the Regulator Changed Its Mind.
The R11bn Vodacom-Maziv transaction closed in December 2025, handing Remgro a R2.66 billion dividend and giving Vodacom a 30% stake in South Africa’s dominant fibre network. Three months on, Parliament is asking why the Competition Commission reversed its earlier opposition — and whether the Open Access conditions are worth the paper they’re printed on.
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Nigeria's $2 Billion Fibre Gamble: World Bank Milestones, EU Backing, and the Right-of-Way Problem That Could Derail Africa's Most Ambitious Broadband Project
  • 8 minute read

Nigeria’s $2 Billion Fibre Gamble: World Bank Milestones, EU Backing, and the Right-of-Way Problem That Could Derail Africa’s Most Ambitious Broadband Project

Nigeria has secured over $1.1 billion in development finance for Project BRIDGE — a plan to extend its fibre backbone from 35,000km to 125,000km. The World Bank will only disburse if milestones are met. MTN reported 5,400 fibre cuts in seven months. Whether BRIDGE succeeds or stalls will determine Nigeria’s digital trajectory for the next decade.
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