Dietlof Mare | Vumatel - CEO

Dietlof Mare is the CEO of Vumatel, South Africa’s leading open access fibre to the home (FTTH) operator, a position he has held since May 2018. To date, he has been a driving force behind the company’s focus on and commitment to bringing better connectivity, through fibre networks, to all South Africans. Under his leadership, the fibre network operator launched a world-first of its kind prepaid platform for fibre-to-the-home services for lower income communities. By the end of March 2021, the company passed more than one million homes, the first fibre network operator in the country to do so. Mare’s commitment to enabling digital education in South Africa, has seen the company grow its schools programme to more than 500 schools. It is an initiative that he believes is the responsibility of service providers, to ensure that we not only close the digital divide, but find ways to expose learners to a rapidly changing global village. Prior to joining Vumatel, Mare was the CEO of Vodafone Albania; Vodacom Tanzania, and Vodacom DRC, accumulating expertise in telecommunications for emerging and developing markets. He has more than 25 years experience in the telecommunications industry, and has been proud to be part of the team that brought mobile voice; data and financial services to markets across the continent. Mare believes that connectivity is instrumental in transforming society, because it lowers the barriers of access to education, employment and entrepreneurship, which he sees as the cornerstones of economic enablement.