Openserve Celebrates South Africa’s first World Fibre Day

World Fibre Day, established by the FTTH Council Global Alliance (FCGA), is observed annually on 4 November to mark the birthday of Sir Charles Kuen Kao, the Nobel Prize-winning physicist known as the Father of Fibre Optics. His pioneering work in the 1960s laid the foundation for the global fiber networks that keep the world connected today.

South Africa’s telecommunications infrastructure provider and a subsidiary of the Telkom Group today joins the global community in celebrating World Fibre Day for the first time in South Africa.

“Our journey over the past 10 years has been about more than building networks,” says Makgosi Mabaso, Chief  Commercial Officer at  Openserve. “It has been about connecting people to opportunity, empowering small businesses, and helping South Africa grow into a truly digital nation. World Fibre Day gives us a special opportunity to celebrate both where we’ve come from and where we are going.”

Ten years ago, on 13 October 2015, the Telkom Group brought a bold idea to life. Rooted in connection, possibility, and progress, this idea became Openserve, South Africa’s national connectivity backbone. Over the past decade, Openserve has driven digital inclusion, economic growth, and innovation across all provinces. This celebration marks 10 years of connecting South Africans to a better life with world-class fiber infrastructure.

We are very proud of our Telkom heritage and where we have come from. It is this heritage that has enabled us to grow. Openserve is one of the critical elements of Telkom executing on our Infraco strategy as One Telkom. “Therefore, the celebration of this milestone is not only for the Openserve team but for the entire Telkom Group community,” she adds. For South Africa, the day highlights the role of fiber as more than a technology—it is the backbone of modern life, powering education, commerce, entertainment and connection for millions of people.

Why fibre matters

“Fiber is the invisible force that keeps South Africa connected to the world,” says Mabaso. “It powers everything from online learning and e-commerce to streaming, telehealth and remote work. On this World Fibre Day, we celebrate the people and partnerships that make that possible, and we reaffirm our commitment to bringing high-quality, affordable fiber to every South African home, business and community.”

• Access and inclusion: Fiber helps bridge the digital divide by giving more South Africans access to education, public services and online opportunities.
• Economic growth: Fiber drives South Africa’s growing digital economy by empowering small businesses, entrepreneurs and remote workers. The telecoms sector now contributes more than R270 billion a year to the national economy.
• Network reliability: Openserve provides high-speed, dependable connectivity supported by expert technicians and proactive monitoring.
• Future readiness: Fiber enables emerging technologies such as cloud computing, artificial intelligence and 5G.
• Sustainability: Fiber is a green, energy-efficient technology that supports long-term digital and economic growth

To mark World Fibre Day, Openserve is hosting employee engagement activities and national radio broadcasts from its Centurion headquarters and Milnerton office, as well as digital storytelling across media platforms to celebrate the power of connectivity and the people who make it possible.

“Connection is at the heart of progress,” says Mabaso. “Every new fiber line we activate opens a door—for a learner to study online, a family to stay in touch, or a small business to reach new customers. Fiber is not just about technology; it is about people and possibility. That is what Openserve stands for.”