Vanilla

What Vanilla does

Vanilla is a Cape Town-based Internet Service Provider operating under the trading name of Future Perfect Corporation, a Level 2 BBBEE certified South African company founded in 1996. It sells connectivity, voice, hosting, hardware and a wide portfolio of value-added services to residential customers, small and medium businesses, event venues, property developers and body corporates in the Cape Town metropolitan area, with on-site technical support available within a 5 km radius of the CBD.

The core product is fibre internet delivered on a 10 Gigabit backbone, offering pure, unshaped bandwidth up to 10,000+ Mbps, with fixed wireless (100–1,000 Mbps) and LTE services available as primary or failover connections. The service stack extends into Vanilla Voice (VoIP), LAMP and WordPress hosting, domain registration, business email via Google Workspace, and an own-storefront hardware shop selling Mikrotik-based routers, switches, access points, Fanvil and Yealink VoIP handsets, Hikvision and TP-Link IP cameras, Xiaomi TV media players, and cable management equipment. Value-added services include media transfer (advertised at up to 100x standard speeds), CCTV installation, sysadmin support, website engineering, digital marketing, crypto-asset consulting with Lightning Network expertise, and live-streaming infrastructure that broadcasts Cape Town landmarks.

The business model is sales-led and subscription-driven, with fibre and connectivity billed month-to-month on rolling contracts at non-publicly-listed prices, hosting at R99–R129/month, domains at R230–R500/year, and hardware sold at unit prices. Distribution is primarily direct sales (phone, email, onsite) supplemented by open-access reseller agreements with seven Fibre Network Operators (Octotel, Openserve, Frogfoot, Internect, Vuma, Fibregeeks, Lightspeed), a referral and reseller channel (Champions & Resellers), and event WiFi sold at daily rates. GTM motion is concentrated in a single geography (Cape Town, South Africa), with no disclosed expansion into additional provinces or countries.

Name

Vanilla

Legal name

Future Perfect Corporation

Website

https://vanilla.co.za

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Vanilla is a Cape Town-based ISP (founded 1996, trading as Future Perfect Corporation) that delivers fibre up to 10,000+ Mbps on a 10 Gigabit backbone, alongside VoIP, hosting, hardware and value-added services to residential, SMB, event-venue and property-developer customers in the Cape Town area.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Internet Service Provider (ISP)

NAICS

Wired and Wireless Telecommunications Carriers (except Satellite) (51711), Wireless Telecommunications Carriers (except Satellite) (517112)

SIC

Wholesale-Computers & Peripheral Equipment & Software (5045)

akta.pro primary industry

Business/Enterprise ISPs (Dedicated Internet Access) (HDAIADAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

IP Transit & Internet Backbone (Tier-1/2, peering, DIA) (HDAIAEAA)

Keywords

• Fibre internet services
• Business connectivity solutions
• Web hosting services
• VoIP voice services
• Network hardware retail

Headquarters

HQ city

Cape Town

HQ country

South Africa

HQ region

Africa

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Fibre & Connectivity Services: Monthly recurring revenue from fibre internet connections up to 10,000+ Mbps, fixed wireless, and LTE backup connectivity. Services offered on month-to-month basis with no contract lock-in.
2. VoIP/Voice Services: Voice over IP systems and handsets sold alongside connectivity packages. Provides flexible, affordable business phone services.
3. Web Hosting & Domain Services: LAMP hosting at R99/month, WordPress hosting at R129/month, domain registration, SSL certificates, and email services via Google Workspace.
4. Hardware Sales: Sale of routers, switches, access points, VoIP phones, IP cameras, media players, cable management equipment, and DB boards. Hardware recommended and tested by Vanilla staff with negotiated supplier rates.
5. Value-Added Services: Additional services including CCTV installation, crypto asset consulting, business consulting, website engineering, digital marketing, sysadmin services, co-work space rental, media transfers, and live streams.
6. Event WiFi Services: Short-term internet and WiFi solutions for event venues available at daily rates at prime Cape Town locations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Vanilla is a Cape Town-based Internet Service Provider delivering Tier 1 fibre connectivity up to 10,000+ Mbps over a 10 Gigabit backbone, alongside WiFi installation, fixed wireless and LTE backup, VoIP, web hosting, and curated networking hardware. The company serves residential customers and Cape Town businesses primarily within a 5km radius of the CBD with on-site technical support, month-to-month flexibility, and a 99.9% uptime guarantee. Revenue is anchored by recurring fibre subscriptions, supplemented by hosting, VoIP, hardware sales, and a portfolio of value-added services including media transfer, CCTV, sysadmin, and event WiFi.

Product overview

Vanilla is a Cape Town-based ISP offering a comprehensive connectivity portfolio centered on fibre internet (up to 10,000+ Mbps), WiFi services, and voice solutions. The core offering comprises fibre connectivity through multiple network operators, complemented by fixed wireless and LTE backup options. Adjacent services include web hosting (LAMP and WordPress), domain registration, business email (via Google Workspace), and value-added services such as CCTV installation, media transfer, live streams, crypto consulting, sysadmin services, and digital marketing. Hardware offerings span routers, switches, access points, VoIP phones, IP cameras, media players, and cable management solutions. The company also provides IT services, business consulting partnerships, and event WiFi solutions, positioning itself as a full-service connectivity provider for both residential and business customers in Cape Town.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Vanilla Gigabit: Pure, unshaped bandwidth fibre offering up to 10,000+ Mbps speeds
• Vanilla Voice
• Vanilla LAMP
• Vanilla Lightspeed

Products and services

• Fibre Internet High-speed fibre optic connectivity with speeds up to 10,000+ Mbps offered as pure Vanilla fibre or via multiple open Fibre Network Operators (Octotel, Openserve, Frogfoot, Internect, Vuma, Lightspeed, Fibregeeks). For Cape Town residential and business customers.
• WiFi Services Internal network installation and optimisation delivered by AV experts, covering the internal network through to end devices for optimal WiFi experience. For residential and business customers.
• Fixed Wireless Secondary or failover connectivity option providing 100 Mbps to 1,000 Mbps speeds when fibre is unavailable, offered as backup connection for mission-critical functions. For Cape Town residential and business customers.
• Cellular/LTE Mobile connectivity option for temporary setups, portable internet for events, and backup connectivity. For Cape Town customers needing flexible mobile broadband.
• Vanilla Voice (VoIP) Voice over IP business phone service providing flexible, affordable, and easy-to-use VoIP calling capabilities. For Cape Town businesses and remote workers needing reliable telephony.
• LAMP Web Hosting Linux, Apache, MySQL, and PHP web hosting providing 50GB storage, one database, unlimited bandwidth transfers, and SFTP access for full control over web applications. For developers and small businesses needing managed LAMP hosting.
• WordPress Hosting Managed WordPress installation and maintenance service on Vanilla's LAMP servers, including security optimization and plugin updates. For bloggers, small businesses, and enterprises running WordPress sites.
• Domain Registration Domain name registration and transfer services working with top registrars in South Africa, supporting various TLDs including .co.za, .com, .org, .capetown, and African domains. For businesses and individuals establishing their web presence.
• Business Email Email services tied to custom domains using Google Workspace, managed on Vanilla's secure mail servers. For businesses and individuals needing professional email on their own domain.
• Event WiFi Short-term internet and WiFi connectivity for events, festivals, and exhibitions at prime Cape Town locations with daily rate options, including custom WiFi installation and managed networks. For event venues, festival organisers, and exhibition operators.
• Media Transfer Fast, secure file transfer service for film and media professionals with speeds up to 100x faster than standard methods, supporting files of any size. For media professionals, filmmakers, and content creators needing high-speed transfers.
• Routers Business and enterprise-grade routers recommended for discerning users, including Mikrotik and other tested equipment. For customers deploying Vanilla connectivity.
• VoIP Phones

Quantifiable outcome

• 99.9% uptime guarantee
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• OctotelcoreTechnology or IntegrationFibre Network Operator partnership providing open access fibre connectivity to Vanilla customers in Octotel service areas.
• OpenservecoreTechnology or IntegrationFibre Network Operator partnership providing open access fibre connectivity to Vanilla customers in Openserve service areas.
• FrogfootcoreTechnology or IntegrationFibre Network Operator partnership providing open access fibre connectivity to Vanilla customers in Frogfoot service areas.
• InternectcoreTechnology or IntegrationFibre Network Operator partnership providing open access fibre connectivity to Vanilla customers in Internect service areas.
• VumacoreTechnology or IntegrationFibre Network Operator partnership providing open access fibre connectivity to Vanilla customers in Vuma service areas.
• FibregeekscoreTechnology or IntegrationFibre Network Operator partnership providing open access fibre connectivity to Vanilla customers in Fibregeeks service areas.
• LightspeedcoreTechnology or IntegrationFibre Network Operator partnership providing open access fibre connectivity to Vanilla customers in Lightspeed service areas.
• MikrotikcoreTechnology or IntegrationPreferred hardware vendor. Used for Vanilla backbone as well as fibre and fixed wireless installations. Enables remote diagnosis and reporting, auto-switching to alternative connections, and advanced services.
• Radian (Business Consulting)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerReferral partnership with Radian business consultants who offer business analysis, strategic planning, and digital inclusion expertise.
• Google WorkspacecoreTechnology or IntegrationEmail hosting partnership using Google Workspace for business email services on Vanilla's secure mail servers.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• HeroTel: South African fibre ISP with significant Cape Town presence. Comparable to Vanilla in fibre-only positioning, FNO-agnostic model, and small-business customer focus.
• Afrihost: One of South Africa's largest ISPs, reselling fibre across multiple FNO networks nationwide. Comparable to Vanilla in product breadth, FNO-agnostic positioning, and business/residential dual focus.
• RSAWEB: Cape Town-headquartered ISP with strong business and hosting heritage. Comparable to Vanilla in geographic roots, business-segment focus, and bundled connectivity-plus-hosting offering.
• Cybersmart: Independent South African ISP offering fibre and wireless connectivity, with a tech-savvy brand. Comparable to Vanilla as a smaller, founder-led ISP competing on service quality in the Cape Town market.
• Webafrica: Long-standing South African ISP offering fibre, LTE and wireless connectivity. Comparable to Vanilla in ISP model, customer base mix, and multi-network reseller strategy.
• MWEB: Established South African ISP offering fibre, wireless and ADSL. Comparable to Vanilla as a broad-market ISP serving residential and SMB customers across major metros.
• Supersonic: MTN-owned fibre ISP targeting South African homes and SMBs. Comparable to Vanilla in fibre-first positioning, Cape Town availability, and business-bundle offerings.
• Cool Ideas: South African fibre-focused ISP serving residential and business customers. Closely comparable to Vanilla: targets Cape Town, offers uncapped fibre, and competes on service quality rather than price.

Broad incumbents

• Vox Telecom: Larger South African telecoms provider offering fibre, VoIP, hosting and cloud to businesses. Comparable to Vanilla as a full-stack connectivity-and-managed-services competitor with a wider portfolio.
• Telkom: South African incumbent telco with the largest fibre and wireless footprint, plus mobile bundles. Comparable to Vanilla as a connectivity provider in the same market, but operating at far greater scale with bundled offers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/VanillaISP
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@VanillaISP/streams
• Facebookfacebook.com/vanillainternet
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/vanilla-networks

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

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 Vanilla