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ADSL on its last legs in South Africa

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  By   Daniel Puchert Partially state-owned telecommunications company Telkom announced in its financial results for the year ending 31 March 2025 that its ADSL subscribers had more than halved to under 30,000. According to the company’s operational data, ADSL lines decreased from 64,959 in March 2024 to 29,770. This 54.2% decline highlights that the legacy broadband technology is slowly approaching the end of the road. Telkom’s ADSL business peaked at the end of March 2016 with 1.01 million subscribers — two years after fibre upstart Vumatel  broke ground in Parkhurst . What followed was a sharp decline in Telkom ADSL subscribers. Customers connected to its copper networks decreased by more than 500,000 over the next four years. This was partly driven by Telkom itself, which began actively switching off its copper network in some neighbourhoods. If it did not have fibre in the area, it would offer a “fixed line lookalike” wireless service that ran over its cellular ...
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TAKE A LOOK | Inside SA’s first Ankole cattle auction, with Cyril Ramaphosa and Patrice Motsepe

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 James Oatway , Business Insider SA

 May 04, 2021, 08:11 AM
30 April 2021. President Cyril Ramaphosa during bi
(James Oatway)
  • The first auction of Ankole cattle in South Africa attracted a President – and a business mogul.
  • Both Cyril Ramaphosa and Patrice Motsepe were spotted at the auction, with one selling and one buying.
  • Ramaphosa described as "incredible" the scientific innovation that allowed the breed to be established in South Africa.
  • Organisers were thrilled at "astronomical" prices, including R2.7 million for a bull.
  • For more stories go to www.BusinessInsider.co.za.

The organisers of South Africa's first auction of Ankole cattle said they were thrilled by the "astronomical" prices achieved – with some recognisable faces in attendance.

Of the more than R10 million in cattle sold at the National Ankole Auction on Friday, a quarter by value came from the herd of President Cyril Ramaphosa.

He is the biggest breeder of the majestic cattle in South Africa, from his Ntaba Nyoni Estates in eastern Mpumalanga.

See also | President Ramaphosa’s Ankole cattle just sold for R2.7 million – with bull ‘Mufasa’ voted best

On the buying side was business mogul Patrice Motsepe – who set the tone by arriving in a helicopter.

Motsepe currently has a complicated relationship with some other farmers in South Africa.

Take a look inside the auction

During remarks, Ramaphosa described the "incredible scientific innovation" that allowed the breed to be established in South Africa.

30 April 2021. President Cyril Ramaphosa during th
(James Oatway)

Disease control measures would not allow the import of animals from Uganda, where Ramaphosa encountered Ankole when he met the country's President Yoweri Museveni in 2004. Ramaphosa imported embryos instead.

Ramaphosa cast an eye over some young cows...

30 April 2021. President Ramaphosa inspects a youn
(James Oatway)

... and checked out the horns on a young bull named Kovu.

30 April 2021. President Ramaphosa inspects the ho
(James Oatway)

Kovu sold for R240,000.

Ramaphosa was not the only high-profile guest. Patrice Motsepe arrived at the auction by helicopter....

30 April 2021. One of South Africaâ??s richest men
(James Oatway)

... and spent more than R1 million.

30 April 2021. Patrice Motsepe spent more than R1-
(James Oatway)

Meanwhile, the podium featured former Springbok and Blue Bulls rugby player Victor Matfield.

30 April 2021. Auctioneer Brandon Leer at work whi
(James Oatway)

Matfield watched for bids, alongside auctioneer Brandon Leer.

The sale included such impressive specimens as Jupiter, which sold for R700,000.

30 April 2021. Jupiter the prize Ankole bull. Anko
(James Oatway)

Several cows and bulls sold for well under R100,000 each. At the other end of the spectrum, the full-bodied bull Sebastiaan sold for R300,000.


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Go to the Business Insider front page for more stories.

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cyril ramaphosa patrice motsepe ankole bulls cattle auction
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