About
A network owned by the community it serves.
Z-Connect (Pty) Ltd is a South African fixed-mobile converged mobile virtual network operator, operated by Zetnet Mobile and anchored in the Zion Christian Church ecosystem. We sell where our members live, and we build the products they already pay for.
Company at a glance
September 2026- Legal entity Z-Connect (Pty) Ltd
- Operated by Zetnet Mobile (Pty) Ltd
- Model Full MVNO
- Host network Vodacom
- Beta Dec 2026
- Commercial launch Feb 2027
- Head office Polokwane
- Regulators ICASA, FSCA, NCR, Information Regulator
Why Z-Connect exists
South Africa has more than thirty mobile virtual network operators. Almost all of them chase the same urban, banked, contract-ready customer.
The gap
Roughly four in five South African mobile subscribers are prepaid, and a large share of them are in townships, peri-urban settlements and rural villages where the nearest branch of anything is a taxi ride away. They buy small, buy often and pay cash — and they get sold products designed for someone else.
Z-Connect is built the other way around: small denominations, physical distribution through places people already trust, and financial products that come to them rather than requiring a trip into town.
The advantage
We start with 452 000 active Zetnet subscribers, 1.1 million active insurance policies and around a thousand church branches that already collect money every week. That is a distribution network no new entrant can build, and it is why our cost of acquiring a customer is a fraction of the market’s.
Converging mobile, home internet, devices, payments, cover and credit on one identity is what turns that base into a business rather than a subscriber list.
How the service is put together
A full MVNO owns its own core, its own customer relationship and its own pricing. We buy radio access wholesale; everything a member touches is ours.
Network
National 2G to 5G coverage over Vodacom under a wholesale agreement, with numbering, bearer and interconnect hosted by Vodacom.
VodacomPlatform
BSS and OSS, real-time rating, SIM provisioning, product catalogue, billing and CRM delivered as a service by Circles Aspire.
Circles AspireFixed
Open-access fibre through Vodacom and Massiv, with a secondary fixed-wireless partner where fibre does not reach.
Fibre and FWAMoney
Licensed banking, insurance, device finance and lending partners, integrated into one wallet and one statement.
Licensed partnersDistribution
Church branches, fixed kiosks, roaming agents, retail partners and digital channels — app, WhatsApp and USSD.
Five channelsLaunch roadmap
The platform is built in four phases over eight months. Compliance and revenue features come first; scale and optimisation follow.
Onboarding, identity and airtime
RICA and light FICA registration, secure member profiles, wallet setup and airtime purchase, plus the admin and compliance console. Months one and two.
Payments, wallet and core services
Data bundles, wallet and card payments, and church and project collections. Months three and four.
Agent and reseller network
Agent onboarding and KYC, SIM and voucher sales, the commission engine, and territory and coverage mapping. Months five and six.
Hotspots, rewards and analytics
Z Tower Connect and Konekta integration, Z-Rewards loyalty, and advanced analytics. Months seven and eight.
Beta service opens in December 2026 with ZCC members and staff. Commercial launch across all channels follows in February 2027.
Legal, regulatory and privacy
Operating a network that also handles money means several regulators at once. Here is who governs what.
| Area | Framework | What it means for members |
|---|---|---|
| SIM registration | RICA | Every SIM is registered to a verified identity and address before it activates. |
| Communications licensing | ICASA | Services are provided under licensed arrangements with our host network. |
| Banking and payments | Licensed bank partner, FIC Act | Your money is held by a licensed bank; account opening includes a FICA check. |
| Insurance | FSCA, FAIS | Cover is underwritten by licensed insurers and sold by accredited representatives. |
| Credit | National Credit Act, NCR | Device finance and advances are assessed for affordability and disclosed in full. |
| Personal information | POPIA | Consent is captured at registration; you can ask what we hold and ask us to correct it. |
Contact
For members, for businesses wanting to sell Z-Connect, and for companies wanting to integrate with the platform.
Talk to us
Email info@z-connect.co.za
Telephone +27 15 101 1336
Web z-connect.co.za
Registered office
02 Rhodesadrift Street, Bendor, Polokwane, 0699
Which channel
Members: ask at the branch, kiosk or agent where you bought your SIM — they can see your account.
Businesses and agents: email us with your area and what you already sell.
Partners: email us with what you deliver and the systems you would integrate to.
Beta opens December 2026.
Ask your branch to put your name down, and we will tell you when your area is live.
See where to buy