Media releases

Tuesday, 13 May 2025

Ranked No.1 in South Africa for Video Experience by Opensignal and accelerating as the ‘Home of MVNOs’, Cell C reaffirms its bold trajectory as a leaner, smarter, more agile challenger telco.

Johannesburg – Cell C today announced solid progress on its strategic roadmap, unveiling bold ambitions for profitable growth and renewed market confidence, underpinned by strong financial performance, future-ready infrastructure, and visionary leadership.

Building on its reputation as one of South Africa’s most trusted brands, Cell C has intensified its transformation into a modern, digital-first telecoms player—focused on serving smarter and partnering better. Recognised by Kantar as a Top 30 Most Valuable South African Brand and by AskAfrika for best-in-class customer service, Cell C continues to defy legacy norms and lead with innovation.

“Nothing Should Stop You” – Especially Not a Slow Connection
In a major endorsement of its network turnaround, Cell C was named South Africa’s No.1 for Video Experience in the Opensignal’s South Africa Mobile Network Experience Award Report and globally recognised as a Global Rising Star for Most Improved Networks, a testament to the company’s bold, capital-light network strategy and MOCN model. Opensignal, an independent global authority on mobile network experience, named Cell C among the most improved networks worldwide.

This recognition is a proud moment for Cell C and a validation of the strategic choices we’ve made in reshaping our network model,” said Chief Executive Officer, Jorge Mendes. “But most importantly, it reflects the experience of our customers, the people who inspire us to keep improving every day.”

The award comes at a time when Cell C has been actively reconfiguring its business for agility and long-term sustainability. By leveraging its own spectrum and partnering with network infrastructure providers, Cell C has been able to prioritise performance, flexibility and digital innovation without the burden of legacy infrastructure ownership. The capital light approach, a concerted focus on network improvement and technological innovation, have yielded positive results by providing broader coverage (a leap from 5500 base stations to ~28000 base stations) and enhanced mobile service for customers—enabling customers to experience faster, more reliable connectivity, wherever they are. And with the first VoLTE call on Africa’s cloud-native platform via AWS, Cell C is setting a new standard for voice quality and innovation.

“The shift towards a virtualised network has allowed us to move faster, innovate smarter, and focus on what truly matters – giving customers a reliable, quality connection when and where they need it,” said Cell C Chief Technology Officer, Schalk Visser. It’s not about who owns the towers. It’s about how well the network performs in the moments that matter to our users”.

The Opensignal Award handover took place at the Cell C Head Office on 13 May 2025.

Smart Partnerships, Smarter Growth
True to its identity as a “network of networks”, Cell C leads South Africa’s MVNO sector, hosting powerhouse retail and banking partners. This flexible platform—backed by a full turnkey model—is unlocking a scalable growth engine for banks, retailers, and digital brands seeking to enter mobile.

The company leads in the MVNO space with plans to accelerate growth in the coming years and is reinforcing its leadership as the platform of choice for innovation and inclusion in telecoms.

Expanding Beyond Mobile: Enterprise, IoT & Broadband
As it scales, Cell C is intensifying its postpaid strategy, reclaiming full control of its contract customer base, and improving ARPU and service integration. In Enterprise and IoT, Cell C is building tailored, digital-first solutions for SMEs and government, leveraging its agile infrastructure and partnerships for high-margin, long-term growth; Cell C is positioning itself as a partner of choice for digital transformation across South Africa’s economy.

Modernised. Digitised. Energised.
With continued investment in IT modernisation, including its Huawei-powered real-time billing stack, Cell C is enhancing customer journey personalisation, security, and scalability, and remains committed to giving South Africans more value, more access, and more freedom to connect.

Brand with Purpose. Culture with Soul.
Cell C’s revitalised brand, anchored in the rallying cry “Nothing Should Stop You”, is gaining momentum in the hearts of consumers. This is backed by a culture transformation inside the organisation—fuelled by a values-driven EVP, flexible work policies, women’s leadership forums, and a drive to become South Africa’s best place to work.

A New Chapter Begins
“With strong year-on-year growth, improved liquidity, and a clear strategy in motion, Cell C is repositioned for profitable, sustainable growth,” said CEO Jorge Mendes. “We’re proud of our people, our partners, and our progress—and we’re excited to continue disrupting with purpose, performance, and heart.”

As South Africa’s only telco to commit to a net-zero carbon footprint, and with continued investment in sports, community, and digital inclusion, Cell C’s journey is not just about connectivity—it's about connecting people to what matters most.