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Evotel employs locals for Rustenburg fibre installation

Evotel employs locals for Rustenburg fibre installation

Investing in the local community for its continual growth and economic well-being

Fibre Network Operator (FNO), Evotel, has recommenced the installation of its fibre network in Rustenburg on 3 March, after reaching an agreement with the local municipality and receiving the go-ahead and wayleaves from them.

The suburb where installation work is being done currently is in Protea Park, with the installation work being done by Evotel primary contractors Veatel and local company, Mosia ke Mosia, who has sub-contracted 10 local and provincial businesses for the installation.

Evotel resolutely provides, as its slogan states, “Fibre For Everyone” and is of the opinion that in the present-day all consumers are entitled to have access to a world-class, fast and reliable fibre network.

Says Evotel Head of Business Development, Bradley Bekker: “The larger FNOs have favored metropoles to install fibre networks, while smaller provincial towns are left behind, while also contributing to the South African economy and in need of the latest technologies. We have focused our attention on these towns, such as Rustenburg, to install our fibre network and to further invest in the wellbeing of these towns by sharing the wealth and employing 30% locals to assist with the installations.”

Evotel’s fibre to the home (FTTH) network installation in Rustenburg is a traditional trenched solution and local companies, like Mosia ke Mosia, employing local labourers are ideal to build the infrastructure, knowing the local landscape and surroundings.

Utilizing local skills

Involving local businesses, according to Bekker, simply makes sense. “It makes the rollout of the network build smoother as the locals understand the environment much better and more resources are close at hand and can be allocated to the project much quicker if required. Locals also do not shy away from contributing to their own community, because it will mean all will prosper from what they are doing and that is one of the things we aim to achieve,” Bekker notes.

“We are so appreciative that Evotel has made the effort to include us in their fibre network installation project in Rustenburg. It is a great boost for us and SMMEs [Small, Medium and Micro Enterprises] in the town. To be given the opportunity to contribute to the building of the network is a sign that we are capable to do the work required,” says Ivan Mosiah, CEO of Mosia ke Mosia.

Evotel truly cares about the communities that it installs its fibre network in and as such feels the network is contributing to the overall wellbeing of these towns – not only by supplying the much needed fibre-optic infrastructure, but also through investing in the local economy for the continued growth prospects of the town and its residents.

Says Sybrand Botes, Project Manager at Veatel: “Ninety to 95% of our workers on this project in Rustenburg are locals and we currently have 75 local labourers employed to assist with the building of the Evotel fibre network in the Protea Park 1 area. As the project expands and we move to install in larger areas we will of course increase the locally employed numbers.”

Mosia ke Mosia at the moment employ 100 people on site in the Protea Park 2 area. It provides these households with an income to earn a living and at the same time contribute to spending in the local economy. This is precisely what Evotel has in mind; to provide work for the local community to support their families and invest back into the town.

There are great opportunities for work as the need for fibre increases

“Mosia ke Mosia was the first black-owned SMME to install fibre in the North West province,” Mosiah proudly adds. He wants to inspire other small business and builders in the provinces to educate themselves in the laying of fibre infrastructures, because there are great opportunities for work as the need for fibre increases country-wide.

Veatel’s Botes adds: “Although we are not a local company, we are employing a great number of local labourers and we also use local suppliers for the hiring of tools and equipment, as well as buying building material, such as concrete, sand and mortar. This extends the reach and positive impact that Evotel’s investment is having in Rustenburg.”

Though the fibre installation project might only provide locals with employment for a short period of time, Evotel is also training these local contractors and providing them with the necessary skills to service the Evotel fibre infrastructure in the future. This will mean that there is an opportunity for locals to have continued employment and stay in the community – not looking for employment opportunities elsewhere. “Our trenched fibre network infrastructure provides communities with fast and reliable internet, which we are confident residents and local businesses in Rustenburg will reap the benefits of. These benefits of the faster fibre network will afford residents a better online experience and advancement with the residual benefit of an increase in the overall wellbeing of the Rustenburg community,” concludes Bekker.

https://evotel.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/30-April-2021-Rustenburg-Herald.pdf

https://evotel.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/7-May-2021-Platinum-Weekly.pdf

https://www.platinumweekly.co.za/article.php?id=4832&categoryID=5