Cool Ideas (South Africa)

Last updated

Cool Ideas
Industry Telecommunications
Founded2011;14 years ago (2011) [1]
FounderPaul Butschi
Andre Jooste [1]
Headquarters,
Area served
South Africa
Products Fiber internet services
Owner Afrihost (majority stake)
Website coolideas.co.za

Cool Ideas is a South African internet service provider (ISP), providing fiber internet services to the South African market. [3] [4] [5]

Contents

History

Cool Ideas was founded in 2011, by Paul Butschi and Andre Jooste. [1] [6] Originally, Cool Ideas offered fiber to the business via South African open-access fiber infrastructure provider Dark Fibre Africa (DFA), and when South African fiber infrastructure provider Vumatel launched in Parkhurst, Johannesburg, the founders decided to begin offering services in the fiber to the home market. [7]

A partial acquisition of Cool Ideas by Afrihost, another South African ISP, was approved by the Competition Commission, South Africa's anti-monopoly regulator. This resulted in Afrihost acquiring a majority stake in Cool Ideas. However, it was decided that latter would continue operating as a distinct brand, comprise the same management team and employees, and its original shareholders would retain their stakes in the company. [8]

In April 2025, Cool Ideas acquired the totality of competing ISP Mind The Speed's customer base. [9]

Achievements

In 2018, Cool Ideas won MyBroadband's ISP of the Year Award.

In 2020, Cool Ideas won MyBroadband's ISP of the Year Award.

In 2021, Cool Ideas won MyBroadband's Best Fibre ISP of the Year Award.

In 2022/3, Cool Ideas won MyBroadband's Best Fibre ISP of the Year Award. [10]

In 2024, Cool Ideas was ranked the fastest ISP in South Africa by Ookla, and was thus named the Best Fixed ISP in South Africa for 2024. [10]

References

  1. 1 2 3 Rudolph Muller (13 June 2021). "Afrihost to buy Cool Ideas". MyBroadband. Retrieved 22 April 2025.
  2. "Home". Cool Ideas. Retrieved 22 April 2025.
  3. "Home". Cool Ideas. Retrieved 11 July 2021.
  4. Ajao, Oluniyi D. (8 March 2020). "Cool Ideas Fibre ISP: Review, Packages, Speed Test". TECH dot AFRICA. Retrieved 11 July 2021.
  5. "Uncapped Fibre Deals | Telkom, Rain, Afrihost, Vox And Axxess | Fibre Tiger". www.fibretiger.co.za. Retrieved 11 July 2021.
  6. Cool Ideas (23 September 2024). "Cool Ideas Internet … officially the fastest". Moneyweb (Pty) Ltd. Retrieved 22 April 2025.
  7. Staff Writer (10 April 2018). "From an Internet Cafe in Sandton to an ISP owner". MyBroadband. Retrieved 22 April 2025.
  8. "Afrihost's acquisition of Cool Ideas gets approved". Bizcommunity.com. 19 August 2021. Retrieved 22 April 2025.
  9. Jan Vermeulen (14 April 2025). "Prominent South African ISP sells its customer base". MyBroadband. Retrieved 22 April 2025.
  10. 1 2 Brent Lindeque (25 September 2024). "Connecting Communities: Cool Ideas Named South Africa's Fastest ISP!". GoodThingsGuy. Retrieved 22 April 2025.