Namibia-based Demshi Investment Holdings (Pty) Ltd, trading as DemshiTelco (Pty) Ltd in Botswana, has been awarded a Network Facilities Provider (NFP) telecommunications license, paving the way for the company to establish and operate network infrastructure in the country.
Demshi Investment Holdings Managing Director Werner Shilunga said the license will enable DemshiTelco to roll out and manage telecommunications infrastructure across Botswana.
“The NFP license is a provisional license for two years in which DemshiTelco must commence commercial operations. Once DemshiTelco commences with commercial operations, the license term gets extended to 20 years,” Shilunga said.
DemshiTelco plans to deploy an Open Access Fibre Network, allowing Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to utilize its infrastructure to deliver internet services to end users.
“Our product focus is FTTH and FTTB, similar to the business model deployed in Namibia. The Fibre to the Home (FTTH) has not been extensively deployed in Botswana, with many towns still without FTTH services,” he said.
The company is currently establishing offices in Gaborone, employing a skeleton team, and conducting extensive network surveying and planning before beginning Fibre deployment.
“We have an ambitious plan to start trenching for Fibre at the beginning of June 2025. The first phase rollout will be in Francistown and Gaborone before expanding to Maun, Jwaneng, Kanye, and Lobatse,” Shilunga said.
Looking ahead, Shilunga outlined an ambitious regional expansion strategy within the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and East Africa over the next five years.
“The aim is to build a truly Pan-African company with network infrastructures deployed in several African countries. Botswana is our first regional expansion, and hopefully, by the end of 2025, DemshiTelco will be in Zambia and Angola,” he said.
Despite the milestone, Shilunga acknowledged funding as a significant hurdle to growth.
“While we navigate the funding challenges, our hope is that our government, maybe through the pension fund, comes up with structured financing geared to Namibian companies who want to expand to other countries,” he said. “We need to create multinational companies, and the government can assist in that regard.”
Shilunga also highlighted DemshiTelco’s strategic relationship with Paratus, a telecoms company with a presence in over eight African countries.
“This strengthens the investment case and provides the necessary comfort to investors in DemshiTelco,” he said.
