New platform Merge X drives competition in SA ISP market

With more South Africans getting connected every day and the country on the cusp of the fourth industrial revolution (4ID), a new platform, Merge X, has been introduced locally to increase competition among internet service providers (ISPs).

The company said it seeks to bridge the digital divide and improve internet connectivity for communities across South Africa.

The platform creates a shared services backend to address challenges like limited capital and skills and enable tier 3 and 4 ISPs to compete against their tier 1 and 2 counterparts.

“With ICASA’s March 2024 deadline mandating 30% ownership equity for black South Africans and Highly Disadvantaged Groups, levelling the playing field and advancing the economy,” it said.

Targeting ISP’s

Merge X said the platform has been developed and refined over the past year. It is targeted at ISPs that service clients within small towns and communities and have under 10 000 customers.

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Tholo Lerotholi, co-founder of Merge X, said the platform is long overdue.

“Gone are the days where price is the only differentiator. Because we understand this, we believe in the transformative power of collaboration, where shared resources and expertise propel niche ISPs into a new era of competition.

“Our vision is bigger than commerce; it’s about empowering local businesses, solving real problems, and ensuring that no one is left behind in the digital revolution,” said Lerotholi.

Transformation

Lerotholi said Merge X is a “cheeky solution” to challenging the bigger boys and their “unimaginative methods” in the country.

“This is our best shot at responding to government mandates for transformation in the industry—through value creation and meaningful participation and not through window dressing.

“We do not have the luxury of relying on our brand name to succeed, we simply have to set aside the rhetoric and deliver through innovation and action,” added Lerotholi.

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