Connecting Communities: The Net Nine Nine Story and Lessons for Entrepreneurs

Connecting Communities: The Net Nine Nine Story and Lessons for Entrepreneurs. Albert Oosthuysen and Nicholas Thipe launched Net Nine Nine on 12 September 2020 in Sandton Gauteng with a bold mission to close South Africa’s digital divide. The two founders combined seasoned industry experience and deep community insight to build a fibre internet provider that challenges convention and places empowerment at its core. Their journey offers real world lessons for entrepreneurs who want to build brands that matter.

Seeing Opportunity at the Intersection of Skill and Purpose

Oosthuysen began his career selling medical devices before moving into fibre infrastructure. That path led to founding Evotel in 2015, a fibre network operator focused mainly on suburbs. By 2020 he saw chance to make impact by targeting townships and rural areas that traditional ISPs ignored. He brought in Nicholas Thipe, now Chief of Staff, to bridge the gap between technical expertise and community needs.

Lesson: Match your skills with underserved markets. Unique value comes when expertise meets unmet demand in real communities.

Building Trust and Community Partnerships from Day One

Net Nine Nine’s founders understood early on that technology alone would not win community acceptance. Initial attempts to enter Rustenburg townships met resistance and legal pushback from local municipalities. Thipe’s insights revealed that locals prioritized jobs, they wanted the ISP to hire from within their towns. Responding with local hiring and transparent communication, they turned skepticism into support and trust.

Lesson: With social impact ventures, credibility is built through inclusion. Early collaboration with communities paves the way for smoother expansion.

Solving Real Payments Problems with Physical Presence

Township customers faced limitations paying for services electronically. In response Net Nine Nine launched physical payment centres across communities so people could pay in cash. This simplified adoption and built goodwill by making payment convenient and accessible.

Lesson: Understand operational barriers and solve them in customer-centric ways. A strong brand adapts to how customers like to interact.

Scaling with Purpose and Precision

Since 2020 Net Nine Nine has deployed fibre in 15 townships, reaching over 214000 homes in eight provinces. They now operate 11 stores in areas such as Kagiso, Westonaria, Thabong, Phuthaditjhaba, and Hammanskraal with five more planned. They have also distinguished themselves by launching computer labs in underprivileged schools like Wood and Raw Primary in Empangeni and supporting women’s empowerment events.

Lesson: Growth can be meaningful and scalable when expansion aligns with core values. Net Nine Nine built physical infrastructure that reinforced service and outreach.

Strategic Investment and Consolidation for Impact

In early 2025 Infinite Partners’ Core Equity Fund acquired strategic interest in Net Nine Nine and Evotel, along with other fibre companies, forming a combined Fibre Holdco platform. This consolidation aims to accelerate connectivity efforts across underserved communities. By November 2024 the Competition Commission concluded the merger would not harm competition.

Lesson: Growth at scale sometimes requires outside investment. If your brand has social impact woven into it, investors will recognize its long-term value.

Marketing That Is Authentic, Uplifting and Locally Rooted

Net Nine Nine does more than sell internet bandwidth, they connect, empower, and celebrate community. Their LinkedIn page shows recent initiatives like sponsoring the Diski Nine Nine Challenge and launching computer labs in schools. Their Mosadi Ke Nako movement highlights women’s leadership in locales like Thaba‑Nchu.

Lesson: Use marketing to reinforce brand mission. Your story should show how you uplift communities, not just promote products.

Rigorous Customer and Community Feedback Loops

Oosthuysen has repeatedly emphasized listening to community voices. From the marketing insights on hiring to herding resources into infrastructure and local job creation, their model depends on two-way communication .

Lesson: Entrepreneurs should build feedback into operations. When you adjust based on real input, your brand gains loyalty and encourages positive word of mouth.

Key Turning Points That Defined the Brand

• Pre‑2020: Building Evotel with experience in fibre suburbs. A trial run for deeper township engagement.
• 2020 Launch: Net Nine Nine founded to serve low LSM communities with affordability and reliability.
• Early Legal and Community Pushback: Local opposition met with inclusive hiring and dialogue, turning conflict into collaboration.
• Physical Presence and Service Infrastructure: Opening stores, labs and cash payment points cemented trust.
• Institutional Investment and Strategic Merge: Backing from Infinite Partners to scale and reinforce brand sustainability.

Actionable Insights for Entrepreneurs

• Combine domain expertise with social purpose.
• Engage early with community stakeholders to co-create.
• Recognize and solve community‑specific challenges.
• Scale people‑first, not just profit‑first.
• Market through mission, not just product.
• Invest in feedback loops to remain relevant.
• Leverage strategic investment aligned with your mission.

Net Nine Nine’s journey from suburb infrastructure to township connectivity champion proves that it is possible to build a profitable, sustainable business that truly serves underserved people. Oosthuysen and Thipe’s strategy shows that real entrepreneurship requires not only vision but also the humility to listen and the courage to reshape your model based on what you learn. For entrepreneurs ready to build brands that matter, their example offers both inspiration and a blueprint for impact.