Vodacom has finally overcome the last regulatory hurdle in its long and troubled attempt to acquire a stake in Maziv, four years after they first agreed to the transaction.
The mobile telecommunications giant confirmed in a statement to investors on Wednesday that the transaction now has the green light from communications regulator Icasa. The company said all conditions precedent have been met, paving the way for implementation on 1 December 2025.
The announcement ends years of uncertainty surrounding one of South Africa’s most significant telecoms infrastructure transactions. Until now, even after the competition appeal court overturned a previous block on the deal in July, Vodacom still needed Icasa’s formal approval — something that remained outstanding when TechCentral reported earlier this month that the deal was still not done.
Vodacom can now move ahead with the acquisition of a 30% co-controlling stake in Maziv, the holding company that houses Vumatel and Dark Fibre Africa. For Vodacom, the transaction marks a strategic shift: the operator will now sit directly inside South Africa’s largest fibre network group.
The implications are substantial. Fibre is now the backbone of home broadband and business connectivity, and Maziv’s network reach gives Vodacom far deeper integration opportunities than before. Rivals have long argued that the deal would tilt the playing field, but Vodacom has maintained that its intention is to accelerate fibre investment, not restrict it.
The biggest shift, however, may come in the structure of South Africa’s connectivity market. With Vodacom now entrenched in both mobile and fibre infrastructure, consolidation pressure on the rest of the sector is likely to intensify.
Consolidation
Mobile competitors — especially MTN — may be forced to respond by deepening their own fibre positions or accelerating M&A. MTN Group CEO Ralph Mupita has repeatedly argued that South Africa “needs consolidation” and that the economics of modern data networks favour fewer, larger players. Vodacom’s success in finally sealing this deal may strengthen that view.
Read: Why MTN still won’t rule out a deal with Telkom
For regulators, the next challenge will be ensuring that the merged entity adheres to its open-access obligations and does not constrain competition as it integrates operations. Vodacom has already pledged to honour the conditions imposed by the commission and upheld by the appeal court. — (c) 2025 NewsCentral Media
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