KZN Government, Openserve and Huawei partner to pioneer fibre-ready housing in Empangeni

Openserve, Huawei and government partners have launched the Fibre Pre-Provisioning Proof of Concept (POC) in Empangeni on 22 October. The project is being rolled out at the Phase 1A Empangeni IRDP Mega Housing development in uMhlathuze Municipality, where 405 houses are currently under construction. The physical infrastructure for fibre is being installed in the houses during construction, so the homes are ready for high-speed connectivity once services are deployed.

The Empangeni development is among the first in South Africa to use the ‘Pipe and Box’ method to put the infrastructure for future connectivity in place while the homes and other essential infrastructure are being built. This makes connectivity part of the community’s core infrastructure, so that services can be switched on more quickly and affordably once they are deployed.

The broader vision is to plan human settlements with digital infrastructure in mind, considering connectivity alongside housing, roads, water, electricity and other essential infrastructure from the earliest stages of development.

Hon. Thamsanqa Ntuli, Premier of KwaZulu-Natal, delivered a keynote address on the province’s digital connectivity and inclusive development.

“Build the pathway today, connect the community tomorrow,” he said. “While this proof of concept does not itself provide fibre services, it establishes the physical infrastructure that will make future connectivity possible.”

“Just as we plan for roads, for water and for electricity, so too must we plan for connectivity,” said the Premier.

The project brings together the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Government, the KZN Department of Human Settlements, the uMhlathuze Local Municipality, Huawei, and Openserve, combining public-sector planning and housing delivery with world-class technology and network infrastructure.

The Provincial Government, through the Office of the Premier, provides leadership and strategic oversight, and the Department of Human Settlements contributes its expertise in settlement planning and development. uMhlathuze Local Municipality leads local coordination, including infrastructure requirements, approvals and stakeholder engagement.

Huawei provides technical advice, programme support and knowledge transfer, while Openserve contributes telecommunications infrastructure and expertise in network deployment, including planning for future connectivity.

Together, the partners demonstrate how public and private sector expertise can combine to create communities ready for the digital future.

Proceedings opened at the Phase 1A site with a walkthrough of a house in the development, showing the fibre installation. Hon. Thamsanqa Ntuli, Premier of KwaZulu-Natal, then cut the ribbon, officially opening the project.

In his welcome address, Cllr Xolani Ngwezi, Mayor of uMhlathuze Local Municipality, spoke about the project and its significance for the city. “Today marks an important milestone in our journey as the City of uMhlathuze to become a smart, connected and inclusive city,” said Ngwezi. “A connected city is a competitive city. A connected resident is an empowered resident.”

“Just as roads connect people physically, fibre infrastructure connects communities digitally,” said Lindani Khoza, Chief Director at the KZN Department of Human Settlements, who described the POC as a new way of thinking about infrastructure delivery.

“Instead of treating connectivity as an afterthought, we are integrating it into the earlier stages of planning and development.”

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Echoing this sentiment, Rendani Musetha, Chief Director: Digital Government at the Department of Communications and Digital Technologies (DCDT), placed the project in the context of national broadband policy.

“Why should we build houses today and only think about connectivity tomorrow?” he asked. “A fibre cable has little meaning on its own. Its value comes from what it enables.”

“When the government builds a home, a connection to the digital economy should be built in, just like water, just like electricity, just like the road,” said Pearl Schrimpton, Executive Enterprise & Public Sector at Openserve, speaking about Openserve’s role in planning the network infrastructure for future connectivity.

“Our commitment to this project is simple: we build it properly, we measure it openly, and we will share what we learned with our partners in government, so that the country can decide on facts rather than assumptions.”

Reflecting on the partnership, Charles Cheng, Deputy CEO of Huawei South Africa, which is providing technical advice, programme support and knowledge transfer to the project, spoke about the role of technology in digital inclusion.

“This initiative is a shining testament to the power of the public and private partnerships,” said Cheng.

“It’s a pioneer step. It is our firm belief that fibre pre-provisioning must become a standard policy at a national level, integrated into municipality building codes and national housing strategy across South Africa.”

“If we do the fibre pre-provisioning during or before the road construction, it saves cost and also avoids the damage to the road,” said Li Yanbang, Huawei’s Solution Manager, who presented the POC.

“We want to find a way that we can get more affordable connectivity to every South African household.”

Beyond Empangeni, the project provides a practical learning opportunity for government, municipalities, developers and network operators. Insights gathered on site will inform how fibre is planned, costed and installed in future housing developments, helping guide similar projects to support digitally inclusive, fibre-ready communities across South Africa.

Communities with fibre-ready infrastructure in place are better positioned to benefit as services become available. Connectivity can expand access to education, healthcare and participation in the digital economy.

Lessons from Empangeni are expected to inform the national integration of digital infrastructure into human settlements, as government and industry partners evaluate the model for broader adoption.