Fibertime R5 Prepaid Uncapped Fibre Expands to Reach 500k Mzansi Homes

• South African low-cost fibre provider Fibertime hit a major milestone by passing 500,000 township homes with high-speed internet
• Founder Alan Knott-Craig Jr built the network across 65 townships, backed by R1.6 billion in funding
• The provider offers prepaid uncapped 100Mbps connections starting at R5 per day, with family plans available

A South African fibre company has quietly changed the internet landscape in townships, reaching a milestone that few thought possible just a few years ago. Fibertime, a low-cost fibre provider focused on underserved communities, has now connected more than 500,000 homes across South Africa's townships to high-speed internet. Daily active users on the network have surpassed 1.55 million people, spread across 65 townships nationwide.

R5 a day to stay connected

The company's model is straightforward. Instead of locking customers into expensive monthly contracts, Fibertime offers prepaid uncapped 100Mbps connections from just R5 per device a day. MyBroadband notes that families can access a multi-user plan for R15 a day, making reliable internet genuinely affordable for low-income households.

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The network runs on Nokia hardware and was founded by Alan Knott-Craig Jr, one of South Africa's well-known figures in the technology and telecommunications space. To fund the rapid build-out, the company secured R1.6 billion, which has fuelled its expansion into townships that traditional internet service providers had largely overlooked.

Aiming for 2 million momes by 2028

Fibertime's growth signals a broader shift in how fibre operators are approaching the market. Rather than competing for customers in affluent suburbs, providers are increasingly looking at low-income communities as the next major frontier for connectivity. The company has set an ambitious target of reaching two million connected homes by 2028, roughly four times its current footprint.

If achieved, that would represent one of the most significant expansions of affordable internet access in South African history. For millions of township residents, reliable internet has long been out of reach because of both infrastructure gaps and cost. Fibertime's prepaid model removes both barriers, allowing users to buy only what they need, when they need it, without the burden of a fixed monthly bill.

5 Briefly News township-related articles

• A mining community township in Zimbabwe captured wide attention online after a content creator showcased stunning homes with modern infrastructure.
• A social media account shared a controversial photo of a large, white double-storey mansion built in a township right next to two non-renovated RDP houses, sparking an online debate.
• A group of determined community members from Ga-Rankuwa took proactive steps to improve the living conditions within their neighbourhood by cleaning their roads.
• Two motorists were filmed engaging in a violent street altercation in a local township, with one of them wielding a gun, shocking many social media users.
• A group of men were filmed attempting to relocate a massive, fully built shack by carrying it down a public road, causing chaos, and the video went viral online.

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Source: Briefly News