About Afrihost
Afrihost is a Telecommunications company based in Sandton (South Africa) founded in 2000 by Peter Meintjes, Brendan Armstrong, and Gian Visser, and was acquired by MTN in May 2014. It operates as a fixed line and wireless telecom services provider in South Africa. Afrihost has completed 2 acquisitions, including Axxess and Cool Ideas. Its chief executive is Gian Visser. Its website afrihost.com draws about 1.6 million monthly visits. Afrihost offers products and services including Fibre Internet, LTE Services, Web Hosting, and VoIP Services. Its focus areas include Telecom, Telecom Operators, Broadband and Wired. Its competitors include KPN, FPT Telecom, Ciena, Hong Kong Broadband Network and Bezeq and 5 more; 4 of its 10 listed competitors have raised funding.
Company details
Afrihost is a telecommunication service provider which provides broadband internet, voice, and data services to residential and business customers in South Africa. The company offers broadband internet services (ADSL, VDSL, fiber, mobile, fixed wireless), 3G 4G cellular voice and data services (through MTNs network), managed WiFi services, and cost-effective bundle services. It also provides web hosting, cloud hosting, private server hosting services, sales of mobile devices, web marketing, security, value-added services, installation and tech support services. In 2011, Afrihost acquired Axxess (an Internet Service Provider) to expand its customer base. In June 2014, MTN South Africa purchased controlling shares (50.02) of Afrihost to expand its market share in South Africa. It provides its services through its own network and MTNs network. In June 2016, MTN South Africa made an announcement regarding its plans to dispose of its stake in Afrihost to its management team.
- Headquarters Sandton, South Africa
- Founders Peter Meintjes, Brendan Armstrong, Gian Visser
- Stage Acquired
- SectorsTelecommunications
- Website category Computers Electronics and Technology · Telecommunications
- Phoneβ’β’β’β’ β’β’β’β’
- Website afrihost.com
- Social LinkedIn X Facebook Instagram YouTube
- Acquired by MTN (May 2014)
Products & Services of Afrihost
Afrihost offers a comprehensive portfolio of products and services, including Fibre Internet, LTE Services, Web Hosting, and VoIP Services.
High-speed internet via fibre optic for homes and businesses
Mobile data plans for areas without wired connections
Affordable platforms for websites and email management
Internet-based voice calls for affordable communication
Apps and channels of Afrihost
its YouTube channel Afrihost • Pure Internet Joy has 1.4K subscribers and 30 videos.
Videos from Afrihost
The most watched videos on Afrihost's YouTube channel, Afrihost • Pure Internet Joy (1.4K subscribers). Click a video to play it here.
More on Afrihost • Pure Internet Joy.
Investors in Afrihost
Afrihost has secured backing from 1 investor, including institutional investors. Prominent investors backing the company include MTN.
| Investor | Description | Founded Year | Domain | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
MTN Group is recognized as a leading telecommunications provider in Africa. | 1994 | mtn.com | Johannesburg, South Africa |
Investor details for Afrihost
The complete investor list, round-by-round participation and investor portfolios require an active premium plan.
- Complete investor list
- Round participation
- Investor portfolios
- Co-investor network
Verified entity values are shown only after access is granted.
People of Afrihost
3 people are tracked at Afrihost (3 in leadership).
| Name | Role | Group |
|---|---|---|
Peter Meintjes | Co-Founder | Leadership |
Brendan Armstrong | Co-Founder | Leadership |
Gian Visser | Co-Founder & CEO | Leadership |
Complete people profiles for Afrihost
Full employee and board profiles, team structure, tenure and professional contact details require an active premium plan.
- Full employee list
- Team structure
- Board tenure
- Professional contacts
Verified entity values are shown only after access is granted.
Investments & Acquisitions by Afrihost
Afrihost has strategically engaged in corporate development activities, having acquired 2 companies. Notable acquisitions include Axxess and Cool Ideas.
| Company Name | Description | Domain | Location | Founded | Acquired | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Internet services are provided across South Africa. | coolideas.co.za | Johannesburg, South Africa | 2010 | Jun 2021 | β’β’β’β’ | |
Broadband internet and data services are provided in South Africa. | axxess.co.za | Gqeberha, South Africa | 1997 | Jul 2011 | β’β’β’β’ |
Complete acquisition details for Afrihost
Acquired stakes, deal sources and the complete acquisition history require an active premium plan.
- Acquired stakes
- Deal sources
- Complete history
- Exports
Verified entity values are shown only after access is granted.
Timeline of Afrihost
4 dated milestones of Afrihost across 21 years, from founding to its latest funding, stage changes and deals.
- Founded Afrihost is founded.
- Acquisition Acquires Axxess.
- Exit Acquired by MTN.
- Acquisition Acquires Cool Ideas.
Competitors of Afrihost
Afrihost has 10 listed competitors in our database, 4 of them funded. They include KPN, FPT Telecom, Ciena, Hong Kong Broadband Network and Bezeq, among others.
| Company Name | Domain | Founded | HQ Location | Total funding | Employees | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| kpn.com | 1989 | The Hague, Netherlands | – | 13,275 | Mobile and fixed-line telecommunication services are provided across Europe. | |
| fpt.vn | 1997 | Hanoi, Vietnam | $36.5M | – | Broadband internet, IPTV, and data services are offered in Vietnam. | |
| ciena.com | 1992 | Hanover, United States | – | 412 | Cloud-based network management software is provided for infrastructure planning. | |
| hkbn.net | 1999 | Hong Kong, China | $200M | – | Provider of fibre optic broadband internet services | |
| bezeq.co.il | 1984 | Tel Aviv, Israel | – | – | Telecom services provider in Israel | |
| centurylink.com | 1930 | Monroe, United States | – | 25,928 | Datacenter colocation, communication technology, and managed services are provided. | |
| cogeco.ca | 1956 | Montreal, Canada | – | – | Fiber-optic internet, TV, and fixed-line telephone services provider | |
| volia.com | 2002 | Kyiv, Ukraine | $300M | – | Fixed-line Internet and HDTV services are provided in Ukraine. | |
| communityfibre.co.uk | 2013 | London, United Kingdom | $110.68M | 415 | Fiber-optic telecom and TV service provider | |
| euskaltel.com | 1995 | Derio, Spain | – | – | Voice and data communication services provider |
Detailed competitors of Afrihost
The full competitor set, operating metrics and side-by-side benchmarks require an active premium plan.
- Full competitor set
- Operating metrics
- Benchmarks
- Competitive positioning
Verified entity values are shown only after access is granted.
Web traffic of Afrihost
The website of Afrihost (afrihost.com) receives about 1.6M visits a month and ranks #24,313 among all websites worldwide, #3,106 in Telecommunications.
- Monthly visits1.6M
▲ 18.5% vs previous month
- Unique visitors376.2K
per month
- Global rank#24,313
among all websites
- Category rank#3,106
Computers Electronics and Technology · Telecommunications
- Bounce rate23%
- Pages per visit11.9
- Average visit11 min 26 sec
- DevicesDesktop 67% Β· Mobile 33%
Websites whose visitors overlap most with Afrihost. Affinity shows how closely the audiences match.
| Website | Domain | Audience affinity | Monthly visits | Global rank | Profile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| webafrica.co.za | 100% | 549.2K | #90,621 | View details | |
| axxess.co.za | 94% | 432.3K | #103,302 | View details | |
| mweb.co.za | 89% | 1.8M | #22,639 | View details | |
| vox.co.za | 84% | 558K | #46,403 | View details | |
| openserve.co.za | 79% | – | #113,158 | View details | |
| β’β’β’β’β’β’β’β’β’β’ | β’β’β’β’β’β’.com | β’β’% | β’.β’M | #β’β’β’β’β’ | β |
| β’β’β’β’β’β’β’β’β’β’ | β’β’β’β’β’β’.com | β’β’% | β’.β’M | #β’β’β’β’β’ | β |
| β’β’β’β’β’β’β’β’β’β’ | β’β’β’β’β’β’.com | β’β’% | β’.β’M | #β’β’β’β’β’ | β |
All 40 similar websites and full traffic analytics for Afrihost
The complete similar-websites list, audience overlap and engagement analytics require an active premium plan.
- 40 similar websites
- Audience overlap
- Engagement analytics
- Traffic by brand
Verified entity values are shown only after access is granted.
Top companies in Telecom Operators
10 companies that operate in the same segment as Afrihost (Telecom Operators), ranked by their profile score on The Company Check.
| Company | Description | Founded | Location | Total funding | Revenue | Employees |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
MTN Group is recognized as a leading telecommunications provider in Africa. | 1994 | Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa | USD 7.05 M | USD 13.7 B | – | |
Global telecommunications company | 1995 | Delhi, Delhi, India | USD 292 M | USD 4.86 B | 4,250 | |
Telephony, internet, television, and network-based ICT services are provided. | 1994 | Brussels, Brussels-capital Region, Belgium | – | USD 7.08 B | 11,634 | |
Mobile telecommunications, internet, and energy services are provided globally. | 1981 | Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan | USD 8.99 M | USD 44.14 B | 74,952 | |
Mobile internet, TV, and telecommunication services are provided. | 1876 | Dallas, Texas, United States | – | USD 125.65 B | 140,990 | |
Mobile internet services are provided for homes and offices. | 1981 | North Ryde, New South Wales, Australia | USD 19.72 M | – | – | |
Sky is recognized as a provider of TV, broadband, and mobile services. | 1990 | Isleworth, England, United Kingdom | – | – | 31,000 | |
Mobile and fixed-line telecommunication services are provided across Europe. | 1989 | The Hague, South Holland, Netherlands | – | USD 6.82 B | 9,660 | |
Provider of integrated telecommunication services | 1984 | Seoul, South Korea | – | USD 11.84 B | 5,490 | |
Integrated telecom and IPTV services are provided to Canadian customers. | 1874 | Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada | – | USD 14.86 B | 106,800 |
Unlock complete access to The Company Check
Get unrestricted viewing across everything we track β from companies and brands to investors, funding rounds, acquisitions, financials, and more.
- Unlimited viewing on all profiles Companies, investors, financials, funding, acquisitions & directors
- Full access to every database India & global coverage, advanced filters and rich profile details
- Always-on access from your team account Single premium plan for everything you see on the portal
Related news about Afrihost
Complete news archive for Afrihost
Full article history, source details, and older brand coverage require an active premium plan.
- Full article archive
- Source and publication date
- Older coverage
- Brand-specific news history
Verified entity values are shown only after access is granted.
Frequently Asked Questions about Afrihost
Afrihost was founded in 2000.
Afrihost is headquartered in Sandton, South Africa. It is registered at Sandton, Gauteng, South Africa.
Gian Visser is the current CEO of Afrihost. They have also founded this company.
Afrihost is a telecommunication service provider which provides broadband internet, voice, and data services to residential and business customers in South Africa. The company offers broadband internet services (ADSL, VDSL, fiber, mobile, fixed wireless), 3G 4G cellular voice and data services (through MTNs network), managed WiFi services, and cost-effective bundle services. It also provides web hosting, cloud hosting, private server hosting services, sales of mobile devices, web marketing, security, value-added services, installation and tech support services. In 2011, Afrihost acquired Axxess (an Internet Service Provider) to expand its customer base. In June 2014, MTN South Africa purchased controlling shares (50.02) of Afrihost to expand its market share in South Africa. It provides its services through its own network and MTNs network. In June 2016, MTN South Africa made an announcement regarding its plans to dispose of its stake in Afrihost to its management team.
Afrihost's top competitors include KPN, Ciena and Community Fibre.
Afrihost offers Fibre Internet, LTE Services, Web Hosting, and VoIP Services.
Afrihost has made 2 acquisitions, including Axxess, and Cool Ideas.
Afrihost has 1 investor. Key investors include MTN.
Yes. Afrihost was acquired by MTN in May 2014.
The website of Afrihost receives about 1.6 million visits a month and ranks #24,313 among all websites worldwide.

