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Meridiam Partners with Ilitha to Transform Internet Access in South Africa’s Townships

January 24, 2025
2 min read
Author: Aayushya Ranjan

Meridiam invests in Ilitha to expand affordable fibre internet access, creating jobs, empowering communities, and fostering digital inclusion in South Africa.

Meridiam acquired a majority stake in Ilitha, an innovative telecommunications company whose main objective is to provide affordable, unlimited internet solutions to underserved areas in South Africa. This investment, made through the Meridiam TURF B Fund, will enable Ilitha to accelerate its fibre rollout in South Africa’s township communities, with the ambition to connect more than half a million households. Through what promises to be a fruitful collaboration, Meridiam will draw on founders and existing management to ensure the company’s growth and achieve its ambition.

Ilitha deploys and operates fibre networks and provides prepaid internet access packages in areas that are today neglected by mainstream providers of internet access. Its innovative solutions allow customers to use unlimited broadband internet both at home and on the go, thanks to internet hotspots rolled-out in the area, at an affordable cost. Ilitha works closely with each local community in which it operates to deploy its network and offer its services.

With this investment, we aim to play a catalytic role in the nascent but fast-growing internet market in the underserved areas of South Africa. But even more importantly, we expect to contribute to a tangible positive social and economic impact on township communities by providing them with reliable, affordable and fast internet connectivity.

– Marie Lam Frendo, Meridiam Partner, Chief Strategy Officer

Scaling up of Ilitha’s network rollout into these communities will not only bring them affordable quality broadband, but arguably more importantly will also: (i) create jobs, (ii) empower youth and women with much needed skills in optic fibre installations and maintenance and broader digital domain; and (iii) create opportunities for entrepreneurship.

Access to the internet has become a basic human right, yet many people living in townships and rural communities do not have access to affordable quality broadband services. Ilitha is not just about bringing internet to these communities, it’s about the “Over the Internet Services”, improving access to education, information as well as household security through deployment surveillance cameras linked to the internet.

– Vuyani Jarana, Chief Executive Officer and Founder, Ilitha

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