Telkom and Openserve Challenge Saldanha Bay Fibre Access

In Short

• The Competition Tribunal will hear an interim relief case from Telkom and Openserve on 18 September 2026.
• The dispute is about access to telecom ducts and routes in towns across the Saldanha Bay municipal area.
• Telkom and Openserve allege the municipality is blocking access in a way that entrenches a Zoom Fibre monopoly.

What Happened: Telkom and Openserve Seek Interim Relief on Fibre

Telkom and Openserve are asking the Competition Tribunal for interim relief in a case tied to fibre access in the Saldanha Bay municipal area. Openserve is Telkom’s wholesale fixed network arm, it builds and operates fibre and then sells access to internet service providers.

The Tribunal said the application is aimed at preventing “imminent, serious and irreparable harm” to affected customers. The complaint covers towns including Vredenburg, Saldanha Bay, Langebaan, St Helena Bay, Paternoster, Hopefield, and Jacobs Bay.

Telkom and Openserve allege the municipality is refusing to allow them to access, maintain, upgrade, and extend their existing physical telecom infrastructure. They argue this blocks competition in the local fixed network operator market.

A key part of the case is the claim that the municipality is pursuing a strategy that creates and entrenches a Zoom Fibre monopoly. Telkom and Openserve say the municipality appointed Zoom as its fibre partner through Amoeba Mobile Solutions.

The interim order requested would stop the municipality from blocking infrastructure work and would require it to issue wayleaves for four applications. A wayleave is a permit that lets an operator install or maintain infrastructure on or under public land.

Why It Matters: Wayleaves, Competition, and Fibre Pricing

Wayleave approvals can decide whether multiple fibre network operators can compete in the same area. When only one network is effectively allowed to build or extend, residents and businesses may have fewer choices on price, speed, and service quality.

The Zoom Fibre issue has been contentious before. Residents previously raised concerns after Zoom announced planned price changes that would have moved many customers to a more expensive package, before partially reversing course.

For South Africa’s broadband market, this case is a reminder that local government processes can shape competition just as much as national telecom rules do.