What Tech5 Group does

Tech5 Group (Proprietary) Limited is a privately held South African Internet Service Provider founded in 2014 and headquartered in Kloof, Durban, with a regional office in Cape Town. The company operates as a multi-network ISP, aggregating thirteen wholesale fibre network operators (Vumatel, Openserve, Octotel, Frogfoot, MetroFibre, LinkLayer, Mitsol, Zoom Fibre, Hyperhood, Clear Access, eBanzi, Open Fibre Networks, Link Africa) into a single storefront offering FTTH and FTTB services to residential and business customers. Beyond fibre, Tech5 sells its own-brand V-LTE and T-LTE uncapped mobile packages, point-to-point and point-to-multipoint wireless links targeting cable-theft-vulnerable environments, and satellite connectivity for un-served areas. The company extends its technology footprint into IoT through a province-wide open LoRa network in KwaZulu-Natal (47 gateways planned via a 2019 partnership with IOT Global) and an IP67-rated LoRaWAN GPS tracker branded Rugged Track, with documented use cases including asset, irrigation, smart parking and cattle tracking.

The business model is primarily subscription-recurring across fibre, LTE, wireless, hosting, virtual servers and managed hotspot, augmented by one-time hardware sales through its e-commerce shop (shop.tech5.co.za) and professional services revenue from website design, Google Ads management and installation/setup fees. Pricing spans entry-level home fibre packages from R489/month (25/25 Mbps on Vumatel) to advanced business fibre packages at R12,752/month (100 Mbps, Zoom Advanced), with six web hosting tiers (R109-R919/month), four cloud virtual server tiers (R156-R1,656/month), managed hotspot at R350/month, and Google Ads tiers from R3,000 to R15,000 minimum monthly ad spend. Go-to-market is hybrid: direct-to-consumer via website ordering and WhatsApp sales (068 008 2808), self-service through the WHMCS client portal and data-usage dashboards, and channel partnerships for hotspot distribution via venues (coffee shops, hotels, malls) and via underlying FNOs. Primary customer segments are residential households (uncapped streaming, gaming, remote work) and South African SMBs needing business-grade connectivity, hosting and digital marketing services; secondary segments include hospitality venues, education, municipalities and IoT integrators in KZN. Tech5 is regulated by ICASA, a member of ISPA, and POPIA-compliant under the Consumer Protection Act, and operates extended call-center hours (6am-10pm, 7 days a week). No external funding rounds, M&A, or institutional investors are disclosed.

Name

Tech5 Group

Legal name

Tech5 Group (Proprietary) Limited

Website

https://tech5.co.za

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Tech5 Group is a South African ISP aggregating 13+ fibre network operators to deliver FTTH, FTTB, LTE, wireless and satellite connectivity to residential and SMB customers across KwaZulu-Natal and the Western Cape, with adjacent IoT (KZN LoRa network, Rugged Track GPS), hosting, hotspot and digital marketing services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Internet Service Provider (Telecommunications)

NAICS

Wired and Wireless Telecommunications Carriers (except Satellite) (51711), Wired Telecommunications Carriers (517111), Telecommunications Resellers (517121), Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services (518210)

akta.pro primary industry

Fiber ISPs (FTTH/FTTP Retail Providers) (HDAIADAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Fiber-to-the-Premises (FTTP/FTTH) Broadband Providers (HDAIABAC), Wireless Networking Services (Wi‑Fi, Private LTE/5G) (BPAEAEAE), Industrial/OT Private Connectivity (Factory, Mining, Ports) (HDAIAGAD)

Keywords

• Fibre internet services
• Wireless connectivity solutions
• Web hosting services
• IoT network connectivity
• Managed hotspot services

Headquarters

HQ city

Johannesburg

HQ country

South Africa

HQ region

Africa

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Infrastructure, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Internet Services Revenue: Monthly recurring subscription revenue from home fibre (FTTH), business fibre (FTTB), LTE, and wireless internet services. Services are offered on month-to-month or contract basis (12-36 months) with promotional pricing for initial periods.
2. Hosting Services: Web hosting, email hosting, domain registration, and virtual server hosting services generating monthly recurring revenue from personal, SMB, and enterprise customers.
3. Hardware Sales: Sale of routers, network equipment, IoT devices, and accessories through their e-commerce shop (shop.tech5.co.za) including items like SFP modules, antennas, switches, UPS units, and tracking devices.
4. Professional Services: Website design services, Google Ads management, and setup/installation fees for services like hotspot installation (R999 setup fee).
5. Managed Hotspot Services: Monthly recurring revenue from managed hotspot services for venues (coffee shops, hotels, malls) at R350/month plus setup fees, with optional newsletter marketing features.
6. Google Ads Management: Managed Google Ads services with tiered pricing from R3,000 to R15,000 minimum monthly ad spend, offering campaign setup, optimization, and reporting services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Tech5 Group is a South African Internet Service Provider selling residential and business fibre (FTTH/FTTB) over 12+ wholesale fibre network operators, complemented by LTE, wireless and satellite connectivity. Beyond internet access the company sells web hosting, virtual servers, managed Wi-Fi hotspots, LoRaWAN IoT network access and the Rugged Track GPS tracker, plus professional services including website design, Google Ads management and cloud backups.

Product overview

Tech5 Group is a South African Internet Service Provider offering a comprehensive telecommunications portfolio. The core offering centers on internet connectivity via multiple delivery mechanisms: Fibre-to-the-Home (FTTH) through 13 wholesale network operators (Vumatel, Openserve, Octotel, Frogfoot, MetroFibre, LinkLayer, Mitsol, Zoom Fibre, Hyperhood, Clear Access, eBanzi, Open Fibre Networks, Link Africa), Business Fibre (FTTB) in five tiers, V-LTE and T-LTE uncapped mobile services, and point-to-point/point-to-multipoint wireless solutions. The IoT division provides LoRa network infrastructure across KwaZulu-Natal and the Rugged Track LoRaWAN GPS tracker. Adjacent services include web hosting (six tiers from Standard to Master), virtual servers (Cloud S to XXXL), professional website design, Google Ads management, and online backup powered by One2backup. The group also operates an e-commerce shop for hardware and networking equipment.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Home Fibre (FTTH) Fibre-to-the-home internet connectivity sold to residential customers in South Africa through multiple wholesale fibre network operators (Vumatel, Openserve, Octotel, Frogfoot, MetroFibre and others), available from as little as R489 per month on promotional pricing with free installation and activation.
• Business Fibre (FTTB) Fibre-to-the-business internet connectivity with dedicated speeds and prioritised support, delivered through Zoom Lite, Metro SMME, LinkLayer, Lite and Advanced tiers. FTTB Lite ranges from R1,399/mo (20Mbps) to R5,449/mo (100Mbps) and FTTB Advanced from R4,363/mo to R12,752/mo.
• V-LTE Uncapped LTE internet service delivered on the V mobile network with 10Mbps, 20Mbps and 30Mbps tiers on 24- or 36-month contracts, targeted at residential customers in V coverage areas.
• T-LTE Uncapped LTE internet service on the T mobile network offering home and business packages ranging from 10Mbps to 20Mbps with month-to-month flexibility and a fair-usage policy.
• Wireless Internet Point-to-point and point-to-multipoint fixed wireless internet for businesses, schools, universities and institutions, with speeds from 5Mbps to 40Mbps, installed within 3-5 working days and no exposure to cable theft.
• Satellite Internet Satellite-based internet connectivity service offered to South African customers in areas where fibre, LTE or wireless options are not available.
• Managed Hotspot Managed Wi-Fi hotspot service for coffee shops, hotels, malls, offices and apartment blocks with branded splash pages, speed regulation, user authentication, optional newsletter marketing and a venue management portal.
• LoRaWAN Network (KwaZulu-Natal) Open province-wide LoRaWAN IoT network in KwaZulu-Natal providing low-power wide-area connectivity for asset tracking, irrigation, smart parking and other IoT applications through 47 planned gateways.
• Rugged Track GPS Tracker Ultra-rugged IP67-rated LoRaWAN GPS asset tracking device with up to five years of battery life from 3x AA batteries, GPS/GLONASS positioning and geofencing, sold for tracking vehicles, equipment, livestock and other assets on Tech5's LoRa network.
• Web Hosting Tiered website and email hosting service for personal, SMB and enterprise customers ranging from Standard (R109/mo, 5GB, 10 emails) through Business, Business+, Advanced, Elite and Master (R919/mo), with WordPress-optimised and unlimited email options.
• Virtual Servers KVM-based cloud virtual server hosting ranging from Cloud S (R156/mo, 20GB, 1GB RAM) through Cloud M, L, XL and business tiers (Cloud XXL/XXXL from R1,656/mo), with static IPv4, daily backups and a 99.9% uptime guarantee.
• Website Design Professional website design service following a six-step process from information gathering and planning through design, content creation, development and testing, with visual builder and CMS options for SMBs.
• Google Ads Management Managed Google Ads campaign service for South African businesses in four tiers (Beginner R3,000, Intermediate R7,500, Advanced R10,000, Expert R15,000 minimum monthly ad spend) covering account audit, setup, optimisation, conversion tracking, remarketing and reporting.
• Online Backups Cloud-based online backup solution powered by One2backup delivering continuous automatic backup, bank-grade encryption, remote access and recovery, and off-site storage for home PCs, laptops and business servers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Network uptime and availability vary by provider - Vumatel targets 95% unplanned availability over 12 months; Octotel guarantees 99.8% on Metro and Area Distribution Networks
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• IOT GlobalcoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2019Tech5, as a licensed telecommunications provider, partnered with IOT Global to roll out the first province-wide and open LoRa network in KwaZulu-Natal. The partnership aims to create an open public infrastructure for IoT innovation with 47 gateways planned covering Durban CBD, PMB, Hillcrest, Kloof, Umhlanga, Umdloti, Cato Ridge, Pinetown, and Westville.
• One2backupsupportingTechnology or IntegrationTech5 offers One2backup online backup solutions as part of their service portfolio. One2backup is a South African based secure automatic online backup solution supporting home PCs, laptops, and business servers with continuous backup and bank-grade encryption.
• VumatelcoreTechnology or IntegrationFibre network operator partnership providing FTTH services to Tech5 customers. Vumatel offers speeds up to 1000Mbps with promotional pricing from R489/month.
• OpenservecoreTechnology or IntegrationSouth Africa's largest fibre network operator partnership providing FTTH and FTTB services through Tech5.
• OctotelcoreTechnology or IntegrationWestern Cape fibre network operator partnership providing FTTH services with 99.8% uptime guarantee on Metro and Area Distribution Networks.
• Frogfoot NetworkssupportingTechnology or IntegrationFibre network operator partnership offering uncapped fibre services with no more than 10:1 contention ratio.
• MetroFibresupportingTechnology or IntegrationFibre network operator partnership offering symmetrical speeds on Nova and Nexus networks.
• Internet Service Providers' Association (ISPA)supportingOthersTech5 Group is a member of ISPA and complies with the ISPA Code of Conduct. In terms of Section 75 of the Electronic Communications and Transactions Act, Tech5 has designated ISPA as an agent to receive notifications of infringements as defined in Section 77 of the Act.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Vox Telecom: South African integrated telco offering fibre, LTE, wireless, and hosted services to SMEs and enterprises. Comparable across connectivity + hosting portfolio, though larger scale.
• HeroTel: South African fibre and wireless ISP with strong presence in smaller towns and rural areas. Comparable in targeting SMEs and reselling multiple network technologies.
• Afrihost: Major South African fibre and LTE ISP reselling capacity from multiple FNOs including Vumatel, Openserve, and Frogfoot. Most directly comparable to Tech5 as a multi-FNO aggregator targeting residential and SMB customers.
• Cool Ideas: Pretoria-headquartered ISP focused on uncapped fibre via Openserve and other FNOs. Closely comparable in pricing strategy (uncapped/unshaped) and target customer to Tech5.
• RSAWEB: Cape Town-based ISP providing fibre, LTE, hosting, and cloud services to residential and business customers. Overlaps with Tech5's FTTH + hosting + virtual server stack.
• Axxess: South African ISP and hosting provider reselling fibre and LTE from multiple FNOs. Highly comparable business model and product mix to Tech5, including hosting adjacency.
• Webafrica: South African ISP offering FTTH, LTE, and wireless across multiple fibre network operators. Same reseller-aggregator model and customer base as Tech5, with broader brand reach.

Broad incumbents

• Mweb: One of South Africa's largest legacy ISPs offering fibre, LTE, and hosting across multiple operators. Broader portfolio and larger scale than Tech5; competes in the same end markets.
• Telkom SA: South Africa's incumbent fixed-line operator providing fibre, LTE, and copper broadband. Sets the wholesale pricing benchmarks (via Openserve) on which Tech5's fibre offerings depend.
• Supersonic (MTN Business): MTN-owned fibre ISP focused on uncapped home and business fibre. Comparable uncapped proposition and FNO reseller model, but with the backing of a major mobile operator.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php?id=61556478531653
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/tech5-group
• Instagraminstagram.com/tech_5_official

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Tech5 Group