The Western Cape is gearing up for another record-setting festive season as domestic and international visitors flock to the province to enjoy its beautiful beaches, wine farms, and nature reserves. Vodacom Western Cape region has implemented significant network upgrades to meet rising traffic demands, ensuring that visitors and residents remain connected during the busy festive period.
“We have invested R450 million this financial year to enhance the quality, capacity, and reach of our broadband network infrastructure across the Western Cape. This substantial investment builds on the R350 million invested during the 2023/24 financial year, demonstrating Vodacom’s sustained commitment to connecting communities throughout the region,” said Waldi Wepener, Managing Executive for Vodacom Western Cape Region. “As we approach the busy festive season, we are confident that our improvements will help us manage congestion and keep our customers connected even in busy tourist hotspots.”
Network Upgrades for the Festive Season
To maximise network reliability during the festive period, Vodacom Western Cape has ensured that their network maintenance operations will be fully operational throughout the season, focusing resources on areas surrounding holiday hotspots. The network capacity has been significantly improved, with 5G added to 138 towers and additional 4G capacity added to 406 towers. These upgrades are supported by the deployment of six temporary base stations for holiday hotspots and nine new permanent base stations across the province. With continued focus on improving network reliability, 213 towers received battery upgrades, 27 towers received power infrastructure upgrades and 6 new standby generators were installed at key network facilities.
The R450 million investment has been allocated to critical infrastructure:
- R223 million for Radio Access Network (RAN) infrastructure, including spectrum deployment, fibre and microwave transmission upgrades, and core network enhancements
- R226 million for transmission infrastructure improvements, including fibre rollout, microwave capacity expansion, and software upgrades to support growing data demand
The investment encompasses advanced technology upgrades, including L2600 spectrum deployment for enhanced 4G capacity, fibre transmission expansion to improve network backhaul, and microwave infrastructure upgrades in areas where fibre is not yet feasible. Vodacom is also modernising base equipment platforms, deploying core fibre for increased resilience, and installing disaster recovery containers to strengthen business continuity.
Addressing Energy Challenges
Network resilience remains a priority amid ongoing energy challenges. Vandalism at base stations and battery theft continue to challenge the goal of providing exceptional connectivity.
“Unfortunately, theft and vandalism continue to challenge our goal of providing exceptional connectivity. We are actively seeking ways to minimize downtime due to power outages and have adopted a multi-layered approach to managing energy-related challenges,” said Wepener. “By upgrading our infrastructure and investing in high-end site security to mitigate theft of batteries and generators, we are excited to offer our customers superior connectivity wherever they travel. Tourism, both local and international, is a key economic contributor. We aim to provide our users with peace of mind and a world-class network experience as they explore everything our beautiful province has to offer.”
The region has invested in power backup systems and dual-homing configurations to ensure reliability during load reduction and power disruptions. Software upgrades across the network will further enhance operational efficiency and enable advanced services.
“Our commitment to the Western Cape goes beyond connectivity. Through sustained investment and purpose-driven initiatives, we are building a more inclusive and connected province,” concludes Wepener. “By investing in both network infrastructure and community development, we ensure every resident and visitor can participate in and benefit from the digital economy.”
