Fibre-ready homes connect South Africa’s housing and digital ambitions

South Africa has made significant progress in expanding access to housing and mobile connectivity. These developments have largely happened independently of one another. In many township housing developments, provision for fixed broadband has not been part of the original infrastructure plans. As more households depend on the internet for education, employment and business, this gap has become increasingly significant. The opportunity now is to make connectivity part of how new communities are planned and built, alongside the infrastructure that supports everyday life.

The extent of this gap is reflected in how South Africans access the internet. According to Statistics South Africa's General Household Survey 2025, 85.6% of households had at least one member who could access the internet, yet only 20.6% had fixed internet access at home. The disparity is particularly pronounced across income groups. Research by the Gauteng City-Region Observatory found that just 5% of households in its lowest income bracket had fibre at home, compared with more than 60% in its highest income brackets. These differences highlight how household income continues to shape the quality and availability of connectivity.

Household reliance on prepaid mobile data for access to the internet often comes with difficult spending decisions. A learner completing an assignment may be drawing on the same limited data budget as a parent searching for employment. For someone running a small business from home, staying connected to customers is part of earning a living. The cost of connectivity therefore influences how people participate in opportunities that increasingly depend on being online. Improving access requires attention to household affordability as well as the infrastructure investment needed to bring reliable connectivity into more communities.

The cost of internet access is only part of the affordability equation. Equally important is what it costs to bring a network into a community. In established neighbourhoods, extending fibre can involve reopening roads, working around existing utilities and restoring completed infrastructure. These costs influence investment decisions, particularly in lower-income areas where commercial returns are less certain. Reducing the cost of network deployment could improve the prospects of extending fixed broadband to communities that have historically had limited access.

This is the approach we are testing in Empangeni, KwaZulu-Natal, through a collaboration between Huawei, Openserve, the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Government, the Department of Human Settlements and uMhlathuze Local Municipality. The Fibre Pre-Provisioning Proof of Concept aims to establish how telecommunications infrastructure can be integrated into new housing developments from the outset.

At Phase 1A of the Empangeni Integrated Residential Development Programme, where 405 homes are under construction, the project uses a 'Pipe and Box' approach that incorporates underground fibre ducts alongside other utilities, with access boxes installed in individual homes. By establishing these pathways during construction, the project will test a more efficient way of preparing new communities for future fibre connectivity.

The pilot will assess the time and cost savings from installing fibre pathways during housing construction and whether the model can be applied in other developments. Openserve brings network deployment expertise, while Huawei contributes technical and engineering support. Because the work is taking place in an active housing development, the findings can give housing authorities and network operators a clearer basis for assessing future projects. That evidence will be important if fibre pre-provisioning is to be adopted more widely.

In uMhlathuze, the initiative also supports the municipality's ambition to grow as a more connected and economically active city. It brings that vision into the development of residential neighbourhoods, recognising the role of digital infrastructure in supporting local economic activity and improving access to services.

The initiative is also relevant to the Department of Human Settlements which oversees the norms and standards governing state-supported housing. Empangeni offers a practical example of how broadband infrastructure can be incorporated into housing development. The POC also demonstrates the value of closer coordination between housing authorities, municipalities and telecommunications partners in developing communities that are equipped for the growing demands of a digital economy.

If fibre pre-provisioning proves viable, the findings could inform how telecommunications infrastructure is specified and funded in future housing developments. This would create a clearer framework for investment and coordination between the housing and telecommunications sectors, allowing successful approaches to be adopted more widely across South Africa.

This also aligns with government's broader vision for digital inclusion. In his 2026 Budget Vote, Communications and Digital Technologies Minister Solly Malatsi outlined an approach to meaningful connectivity that encompasses affordability, access to devices, digital skills and productive use, alongside network coverage. Together, these priorities point towards a future where digital inclusion is reflected in how people live, learn and participate in the economy. Aligning housing and digital development priorities could help bring that future within reach of more South African communities, particularly those that have historically had limited access to fixed broadband.