Icasa is last hurdle for Vodacom's Maziv fibre deal - Shameel Joosub — Vodacom Group CEO Shameel Joosub

All that stands between Vodacom consummating its acquisition of a co-controlling stake in fibre operator Maziv is communications regulator Icasa.

This is after the competition appeal court on Thursday ruled that – more than three-and-a-half years after Vodacom and Maziv parent CIVH first announced their deal – the transaction could proceed under revised terms agreed to with the Competition Commission.

“Vodacom and Maziv will now prioritise finalisation of the only remaining regulatory requirement, which is unconditional approval from the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa, which conditionally approved the transaction in November 2022,” Vodacom said in a statement on Friday.

Vodacom is acquiring 30% of Maziv, the owner of Vumatel, South Africa’s largest home fibre broadband network operator, and Dark Fibre Africa, a provider of wholesale and business fibre services. It has the option to increase its stake to 34.95%, below the 40% first proposed in 2022 — a key concession to the Competition Commission.

“The acquisition is subject to the set of revised conditions, proposed by the merger parties and the Competition Commission ahead of the competition appeal court hearing on 22 July 2025,” Vodacom said.

“We are delighted with the appeal court’s decision, which paves the way for us to bring the benefits of enhanced fibre infrastructure to more South Africans,” said Vodacom Group CEO Shameel Joosub in the statement.