Brief
Frogfoot eyes more suburb fibre buys as Octotel‑MetroFibre merger looms
CEO Shane Chorley says Frogfoot will continue acquiring small‑scale fibre operators and hopes to be an acquirer rather than a target.
By Felo News Desk · Published
Frogfoot CEO Shane Chorley told the TechCentral Show that the company will keep buying small fibre network operators (FNOs) in South Africa’s affluent suburbs and expects larger networks to become available in the next few years.
What happened
Chorley said Frogfoot has already completed a few acquisitions of networks serving fewer than 10,000 homes and plans to continue that strategy. He added that slightly bigger operators are likely to be sold in the coming years, followed eventually by “a much bigger consolidation of one or two of the bigger ones.”
What the reports add
TechCentral reported that Frogfoot, together with ISP Vox and prepaid fibre brand Hypa, raised new equity and expanded debt facilities in August, valuing the combined businesses at R14.4 billion. Most of the new capital is earmarked for township projects, where Frogfoot wants to raise its build rate from about 80,000 connections a year to 360,000. Chorley noted that consolidation will not target lower‑income markets while greenfield builds are still needed.
What was said
“We have done a couple of those already and we’ll continue to do that,” Chorley told TechCentral. When asked whether Frogfoot would prefer to buy or be bought, he replied, “I would be ignorant to say that we would ignore any offer,” but stressed the goal of growth: “I would hope to say that we will be the acquirer rather than being sold.”
How it came about
Octotel and MetroFibre Networx, which share investor African Infrastructure Investment Managers, are currently assessing a merger – a development first reported by TechCentral earlier this month. Frogfoot’s strategy aligns with the broader trend of consolidation in South Africa’s fibre market, as noted in Felo’s earlier coverage of the Octotel‑MetroFibre talks.
Key facts
- Frogfoot plans to keep acquiring small fibre network operators in affluent suburbs. (techcentral.co.za)
- Acquisitions so far involve networks of fewer than 10,000 homes. (techcentral.co.za)
- Frogfoot, Vox and Hypa raised equity and debt in August valuing the group at R14.4 billion. (techcentral.co.za)
- Frogfoot aims to increase township build rate from 80,000 to 360,000 connections per year. (techcentral.co.za)
- Octotel and MetroFibre Networx are assessing a merger, sharing investor AIIM. (techcentral.co.za)
Sources
- [1] techcentral.co.za — originally reported as “Frogfoot plots acquisitions as Octotel and MetroFibre weigh a merger”
