A South African telecoms company founded and led by a woman is working to expand connectivity in underserved areas while breaking into the male-dominated sector.
Founded in 2020, Makhoba Professional Services (MPS) provides end-to-end network solutions, including installations, maintenance and digital connectivity services for businesses and government.
CEO and founder Thabile Makhoba said the idea for the business arose during the Covid pandemic after she was retrenched from the events industry, where she had been working for more than 13 years.
“I decided to pivot because I really felt betrayed by the employment system and wanted to avoid this happening again.”
After moving back to her rural hometown to save costs, she became increasingly frustrated with limited internet access, often having to drive long distances to access public Wi-Fi.
She said she began contacting mobile network operators (MNOs) out of frustration and soon realised the scale of the problem, identifying a gap to provide digital access in rural communities and eventually starting her own telecommunications company from her mother’s garage.
MPS enables connectivity across South Africa by providing end-to-end network and infrastructure services for the telecommunications and government sectors. The company operates on a B2B and B2G model, offering detailed site surveys, installations, maintenance, optimisation, upgrades and compliant decommissioning of infrastructure.
Its clients include MNOs, internet service providers (ISPs) and government entities, with all work carried out by certified in-house engineers and technicians.
Coming from an events background with no experience in telecommunications, Makhoba used the time after retrenchment to research the industry and upskill herself through training and accreditation, and she continues to prioritise her growth, having recently completed an advanced diploma in general management at the Gordon Institute of Business Science.
Although she had upskilled and prepared, Makhoba admitted that starting out was daunting, and she was filled with anxiety and self-doubt about making the leap from employee to entrepreneur. She overcame these fears by focusing on action and persistence, reminding herself not to worry about what people said “because their opinions don’t pay your bills”.
Early projects came with challenges and costly mistakes, she said, but these lessons helped her realise the importance of hiring experienced engineers and technicians, which allowed the company to grow and take on larger projects.
The company has grown from a one-person operation to employing more than 35 permanent and 11 temporary staff, with its head office in Gauteng and a second branch in the Eastern Cape, while also supporting operations across Mpumalanga, Limpopo, North West, the Free State, the Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal.
MPS’s commitment to bridging the digital divide extends beyond large infrastructure projects. “Every day a community lacks access to reliable internet is a day where they can’t compete,” Makhoba said, noting that limited connectivity affects both businesses and communities.
Our key fundamental solution is to be able to provide internet where traditional fibre infrastructure can’t run
— CEO Thabile Makhoba
“Our key fundamental solution is to be able to provide internet where traditional fibre infrastructure can’t run,” she said, explaining that MPS uses microwave links, radio frequency (RF) links and radio access network (RAN) services to bring connectivity to areas that would otherwise be offline.
In February, MPS piloted its first Digi Library Hub at Sithokomele Primary School in Ratanda Township in partnership with the Royal Academy of Engineering, giving the 1,000 students access to a digital library of e-books. As part of the initiative, MPS also donated more than 300 physical books to the school.
Makhoba said the project aligns with the UN’s sustainable development goals for 2030, including quality education and reducing inequality. Encouraged by the positive response, she noted that it was the first step in a larger plan to expand the programme to many more rural communities with the support of strategic partners.
MPS sets itself apart from established providers because “we are nimble enough to have a quick turnaround time and curate and customise clients’ needs”, Makhoba said.
She noted that while MPS had invested in compliance and developed the necessary expertise, breaking into the market remained challenging. She described the telecommunications industry as “very male-dominant and very white-dominant”, adding that though some leaders are working on transformation, there is still “more room for growth and change”.
Looking ahead, Makhoba said MPS’s short-term goal is to establish a national presence with branches in every South African province, while the long-term vision is to expand across Africa, addressing connectivity challenges in rural communities with homegrown solutions.
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.