Integrated ICT and telecommunications provider Vox has identified an opportunity to support a standalone technical services provider while simultaneously solving a key customer pain point.

Vox, in partnership with its wholly owned infrastructure provider, Frogfoot Networks, as well as Telkom and Cloudseed, will drive the launch of Lekelela Technical Services, a telecommunications staff and solutions vendor operating with 51% black ownership.

“One of the major issues is the lag and backlog in installations,” explains Mayuri Mistry, chief financial officer at Lekelela Technical Services. “By establishing a dedicated technical services provider under the umbrella of Vox, we aim to reduce installation times and streamline the entire customer experience within the ICT ecosystem.

“We are excited to kick this initiative off with five employees already in place, and ready to make installations happen faster, and look forward to growing this number in the coming months.”

Lekelela Technical Services will install the physical connection and any value-added services over the connection, at the same time. As a result, all stakeholders will benefit from lowered costs and reduced lead time from the time of sale to delivery of invoice. By operating as a 51% black-owned company, Lekelela Technical Services will be positioned as a favourable supplier to companies that fall into the ICT charter scorecard.

To begin with, Lekelela will fulfil orders from Vox to install fibre, ADSL, Wi-Fi, PBX, voice, visual communications, SMS and fax solutions; from Telkom, to install ADSL and fibre lines; from Frogfoot, to install fibre lines; and from Cloudseed, to install Wi-Fi and local-area network connections and ad hoc Wi-Fi connectivity.

Skills development

As part of the initiative, Vox will provide skills training and development, with a focus on technical expertise. Over time, skills training and support will extend beyond the technical realm to spheres such as financial and business management, marketing and communications.

“Within the ICT sector and, indeed, the country at large, every company has a responsibility to constantly up-skill and develop staff, as well create opportunities for innovation and entrepreneurship,” adds Mistry. “Our vision for Lekelela is to empower employees to take ownership of their work and to grow the company into a formidable force of its own. This is an important initiative and one that we are extremely excited about.”

“As a company, we are passionate about job creation and entrepreneurship, and the launch of Lekelela Technical Services is a positive step forward for the South African ICT sector at large.”