Openserve Fibre
South Africa's largest open-access fibre network. 147 000 km of buried glass, 3 million+ connected homes and 200+ ISPs to choose from. Here's the complete, no-fluff guide.
Webafrica Openserve Deals
Live Openserve uncapped fibre packages from Webafrica - South Africa's largest open-access fibre network. All sign-ups are routed via the verified affiliate link.
- Free standard installation
- Free Wi-Fi router
- Free standard installation
- Free Wi-Fi router
- Free standard installation
- Free Wi-Fi router
- Free standard installation
- Free Wi-Fi router
20/10 Mbps Uncapped
30/10 Mbps Uncapped
50/25 Mbps Uncapped
100/50 Mbps Uncapped
Showing 4 of 4 deals · Prices indicative · Sign-up via the listed ISP · Affiliate links may earn us a commission on referrals
What is Openserve?
South Africa's largest open-access fibre network
Openserve is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Telkom SA and the largest fibre network operator (FNO) in South Africa. Unlike an internet service provider, Openserve does not sell internet directly to the public. Instead, the company builds and maintains the underlying fibre infrastructure - the trenches, ducts, splice cabinets and Optical Network Terminals - then leases that capacity to a wide ecosystem of retail ISPs.
That open-access model is the single most important thing to understand about Openserve. Whether you sign up with Webafrica, Afrihost, RSAWeb, Cool Ideas, Axxess, MWEB, Mitsol, Vox, Cybersmart, Home-Connect or Telkom themselves, the cable in the ground is the same. What changes is the price, the support experience, the router quality and the value-added bundles each ISP layers on top.
Uncapped, unshaped, and built for the long haul
With more than 147 000 kilometres of fibre optic cable already in service, Openserve reaches over 3 million customers in major metros, secondary cities, townships and gated estates from Cape Town to Polokwane. The company continues to roll out hundreds of kilometres of new cable every month, including aggressive expansion in previously under-served areas.
Every Openserve home package is uncapped, unshaped and unthrottled. There are no fair-use policies, no peak-time slow-downs and no surprise data caps. Plans start at 25 Mbps and currently scale up to 1 Gbps symmetrical, which is more than enough for 4K streaming on multiple TVs, professional video calls, cloud backups, competitive gaming and a smart-home full of always-on devices.
Of fibre cable laid across South Africa
Active homes and businesses connected
Internet Service Providers on the network
Top symmetrical residential speed available
No exclusivity, switch ISPs anytime
Independently rated #1 in South Africa
Connecting Everyone
From a single flat to a sprawling lifestyle estate, from a one-person consultancy to a national retailer, Openserve has a route to your front door - and a partner ecosystem to deliver the experience.
Connecting your home
Getting Openserve into your home is straightforward. Start by entering your address on a coverage checker - if you're lit up, you can usually pick from 30 or more ISP packages competing for your business. Once you choose a plan, an Openserve technician arrives, drills a small entry point, runs the fibre from the nearest pole or kerb, and mounts an Optical Network Terminal (ONT) inside your home. Your ISP then ships a router, and within a few days you're online with uncapped, unshaped fibre.
- Free standard installation on most plans
- No exclusivity - change ISP whenever you want
- Speeds from 25 Mbps to 1 Gbps
- ONT mounted inside the home, neat and tidy
Connecting your business
Openserve runs dedicated business products built for SMBs, enterprise and government. Business fibre includes higher service-level agreements, faster mean-time-to-repair, prioritised fault handling and the option of dedicated symmetrical bandwidth instead of best-effort residential speeds. The company invests continuously in next-generation transport, MPLS and IP/MPLS-VPN solutions so that even branches in remote locations can plug into the same backbone that powers banks, retailers and cloud providers.
- Business-grade SLAs and uptime targets
- Symmetrical speeds for VoIP, video and SaaS
- Layer-2 and Layer-3 corporate connectivity
- Bundled voice and managed services available
Connecting your estate
Homeowners' associations and body corporates love Openserve because the infrastructure is installed at zero cost to the estate. There's no exclusivity contract, which means residents are never locked into a single ISP. Openserve engages directly with the HOA, conducts a site survey, plans the duct routing, installs ONTs in each unit and hands over a fully tested, activated network. The result is a future-proof amenity that adds resale value and lets every household choose their own deal.
- Free fibre infrastructure for HOAs
- Open access - every resident picks their own ISP
- No long-term lock-in or kickback clauses
- Tailored installation that respects estate aesthetics
Connecting your customers
If you're a wholesale partner, reseller or international carrier, Openserve provides the broadband, data and voice products you need to build commercial offerings. The wholesale division supports new-entrant ISPs with onboarding, technical integration, billing systems and product training. International operators can land traffic in South Africa and reach end users on the country's most extensive last-mile footprint - without having to build any of it themselves.
- Wholesale broadband, voice and transit
- Dedicated channel and partner support
- API-driven provisioning for modern ISPs
- Reach into 800+ exchanges nationally
Top Openserve Packages
Snapshot of the most popular Openserve plans available through partner ISPs. Prices are guideline retail per month - actual figures vary slightly by ISP and current promo. Check live Webafrica pricing below.
Openserve Core 25/10
Best for: Singles, students, light browsing
- Uncapped, no FUP, no throttling
- 12-month contract
- Free installation & router
- Optional voice bolt-on from R40/m
Openserve Endless 50/25
Best for: Couples, work-from-home households
- Symmetrical-friendly upload
- Great for remote work & video calls
- Free installation & router
- Email account add-on available
Openserve Pro 100/50
Best for: Families with multiple devices
- 4K streaming on multiple TVs
- Low-latency competitive gaming
- Free installation & router
- 12-month contract
Openserve Power 200/100
Best for: Power users, smart-homes
- Bandwidth for 8+ active users
- Cloud backups in minutes
- Free installation & router
- Symmetrical-friendly upload
Openserve Ultra 300/150
Best for: Heavy streamers, content creators
- Multi-user 4K and 8K streaming
- Massive game and console downloads
- Free installation & router
- Whole-home mesh ready
Openserve Elite 500/250
Best for: Pros, creators, prosumers
- Top-tier consumer speed
- Studio-grade upload pipeline
- Free installation & router
- 12-month contract
Openserve vs Vumatel
South Africa's two biggest fibre networks compete on price, speed and footprint. Vumatel tends to dominate in dense suburban Johannesburg and parts of Cape Town, while Openserve has the broader national reach. Below is a guideline price comparison for the most common speed tiers - green highlights the cheaper option at each speed.
| Speed tier | Vumatel | Openserve |
|---|---|---|
| 10 Mbps symmetrical | R249 | - |
| 25 Mbps symmetrical | R449 | - |
| 50 Mbps symmetrical | R689 | R699 |
| 100/50 Mbps | R799 | R759 |
| 100 Mbps symmetrical | R849 | R819 |
| 200 Mbps symmetrical | R949 | R989 |
| 300/150 Mbps | - | R1 049 |
| 500/250 Mbps | R1 049 | R1 169 |
| 1000/250 Mbps | R1 149 | - |
Prices are typical retail per month from major ISPs and exclude promotional first-month discounts. Always confirm current pricing with the ISP at sign-up.
Top ISPs on the Openserve Network
Because Openserve is open-access, more than 200 retail providers compete for your sign-up. Pricing on identical line speeds can differ by R150 or more between ISPs, and the support experience varies dramatically. Here are some of the most popular Openserve resellers in South Africa, with a quick honest note on what each is known for.
Webafrica
Editor's PickAggressive promo pricing, free first month often included.
See Webafrica dealsAfrihost
Tiered Pure plans, well-known brand, solid app and support.
RSAWeb
Premium feel, capped and uncapped options, Cape Town favourite.
Cool Ideas
Power-user darling, gaming-friendly routing and peering.
Axxess
Veteran ISP with flexible month-to-month plans.
MWEB
Long-standing brand with bundled email and security extras.
Vox
Strong on business fibre, voice and managed services.
Cybersmart
Symmetrical Faster Internet plans, no contracts.
Home-Connect
Promo-driven Openserve packages with frequent specials.
Telkom
Network owner - bundled mobile and voice on-net pricing.
Mitsol
Boutique ISP with attentive support and clean billing.
Supersonic
MTN-owned, expanding rapidly across Openserve coverage.
How Openserve Fibre Works
Going from "interested" to "browsing at full speed" usually takes between 7 and 21 days. Here is what actually happens behind the scenes.
STEP 1Network roll-out
Openserve and its accredited construction partners trench, mole and aerial-string fibre cable street by street. New suburbs are typically lit up in waves over a few months, with feeder cabinets installed along main routes to act as aggregation points for the surrounding homes.
STEP 2Coverage check & ISP choice
You enter your address into a coverage checker (Openserve's own, or any partner ISP's) to confirm your line is ready for activation. With over 200 ISPs riding the same physical infrastructure, the smart move is to compare two or three options on price, support reputation and contract length before committing.
STEP 3Installation appointment
Once you order, your ISP places the request with Openserve. A technician contacts you to schedule a 2–4 hour installation window. They run a single fibre strand from the kerb or pole into your home, drill a discreet entry point, and mount a small white Optical Network Terminal (ONT) on an internal wall near a power outlet.
STEP 4Router & activation
Your ISP ships a Wi-Fi router (free on most contracts) pre-configured with your account credentials. Plug it into the ONT with the supplied patch cable, switch it on, and within minutes you're live with uncapped, unshaped fibre at the speed you ordered. Most ISPs include a free 30-day trial period to confirm you're happy with the line.
Finding the right speed
Buying too little fibre is annoying. Buying too much is expensive. The trick is matching your line to how you actually use the internet - number of devices, streaming habits, gaming, work-from-home, smart-home gear and how patient your housemates are. Use this quick guide as a sanity check before you click "subscribe".
Browsing, social media, HD streaming on one or two screens, light video calls. The cheapest entry point into fibre and a major upgrade from any LTE or ADSL line.
Multiple 4K streams at the same time, console gaming, smart-home cameras and remote work for one or two adults. The sweet spot for most South African households in 2026.
Game downloads in minutes instead of hours, simultaneous video conferencing across the house, cloud photo backups in the background. Symmetrical-friendly uploads make a noticeable difference here.
Studio-grade upload speeds for video editors, photographers, software developers pushing large repositories, and households with 20+ connected devices. Future-proofs you for the next 5 years.
Openserve FAQ
Everything customers ask before signing up.
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