Convergence Partners is an investment management and advisory firm, focused on the telecommunications, media and technology sector in emerging markets, with a principal focus on Africa.

Double the Dakar – Double the Smiles – Comsol CEO rides again!

December 19th, 2011 | admin
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Convergence Partners congratulates Comsol CEO, Iain Stevenson, for committing once again to get the finisher’s badge in the 2012 Dakar race. Unfortunately, Iain suffered a fall on stage 8 in the 2011 Dakar earlier this year and had to withdraw from the race.
This time around however, he brings National Enduro champion, Chris Birch (Comsol-AlfieCox-KTM) with him.

Continued success of the Dimension Data Saturday School programme, 100% pass rate

December 8th, 2011 | admin
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Convergence Partners in partnership with Dimension Data presented certificates and prizes to the top performing students of the Dimension Data Saturday School Programme, on Friday, 2 December 2011 in recognition of their outstanding academic achievements for the year. The Dimension Data Saturday School Programme is a two-year initiative that benefits 100 grade 11 and 12 pupils from disadvantaged public high schools in Gauteng each year. The programme provides learners with weekly supplemental tutoring from 8am to 3:30pm on Saturdays in addition to holiday camps over Easter and the June vacations.

Comsol, Dimension Data and Internet Solutions provides connectivity for Volvo Ocean Race

December 8th, 2011 | admin
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When the competing fleet of 11-strong crews of professional sailors dock in Cape Town harbour after up to 22 days on the open sea, Convergence Partners’ investee companies, Dimension Data, Internet Solutions and Comsol, have exclusivity in providing connectivity for the race fleet while it is docked in the Mother City port for repairs and re-stocking. The Cape Town leg of the race will take place in early December

Britehouse successfully completes major SAP consolidation in the South African steel industry

August 24th, 2011 | admin
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In a first for South African SAP environments and for the steel industry globally, Britehouse, Dimension Data’s specialist SAP practice, has completed the consolidation of five different SAP systems into a single master system at ArcelorMittal South Africa, Africa’s largest steel producer.
In a project that took 11 months and involved taking millions of records from the previous 10 years of the standalone systems, the consolidated system went live in April 2011 – with subsequent month-ends running as normal.

Seacom boasts 500Gbit/s fibre link

August 1st, 2011 | admin
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Seacom demonstrated new “five times 100Gbit/s-per-wave” fibre technology (500Gbit/s in total) as well as its new fibre connection between Teraco’s Johannesburg data centre and Seacom’s submarine cable landing station in Mtunzini in KwaZulu-Natal. The company says it hopes to use the technology to meet SA’s growing demand for bandwidth while remaining competitively priced.

Andile Ngcaba receives Fibre Optic Association Award

June 9th, 2011 | admin
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The rise of YouTube, social media and other IP-based multi-media content delivery platforms globally and in Africa continues to drive the demand for broadband infrastructure. In order to meet the needs of multimedia content in the form of 3D and HD video, video conferencing, music and the social media explosion sweeping the African continent there has been a surge in the roll out of fibre optic networks.
This is according to Andile Ngcaba, founder and chairman of Convergence Partners, who spoke at a seminar arranged by Datanet Infrastructure Group in conjunction with the international Fibre Optic Association (FOA) and Triple Play Fibre Optic Solutions which provides FOA-approved fibre optic training.

FibreCo national network on schedule

April 21st, 2011 | admin

FibreCo Telecommunications (“FibreCo”), a partnership between Cell C, Internet Solutions and Convergence Partners, is making excellent progress with its plans for the deployment of its open-access long-haul terrestrial fibre optic broadband network in South Africa.
The project is on track with the geotechnical and environmental studies for the first routes already completed and the tender process moving ahead swiftly. A wide range of other essential elements relating to permitting, engineering, environmental management and development of detailed customer solutions are also ongoing.

Hopeville wins two SAFTA awards and receives nine nominations at the 2011 African Movie Academy Awards

March 15th, 2011 | admin
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The Hopeville feature film, which was released nationally in South Africa in September 2010, has been making in-roads at the international film festivals and awards events.

Hopeville is a film produced by Heartlines, which is a beneficiary of the Convergence Partners Foundation.

New Dawn Satellite arrives in French Guiana!

March 1st, 2011 | admin
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With only 28 days until launch, the Intelsat New Dawn Satellite was shipped overnight from Washington D.C. to Cayenne, French Guiana. The satellite recently left the Orbital Sciences Corporation manufacturing facility in Dulles, Virginia, and was flown on an Antonov airplane, arriving early morning local time in Cayenne. It will then be transported to Kourou, where it will be launched on an Ariane 5 rocket on 29 March 2011.
See the attached picture of the satellite being loaded for flight from the USA to French Guiana.

Student Sponsorship Programme (SSP) 10-year anniversary celebrations held in Johannesburg

February 28th, 2011 | admin
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Convergence Partners, a SSP sponsor and part of the mentorship programme, was proud to attend the SSP 10th anniversary celebration on 24 February 2011, held at Summer Place, Johannesburg.
The SSP is a scholarship and mentorship programme aimed at identifying and supporting historically disadvantaged scholars that are academically talented and show strong leadership qualities, by funding tuition at some of South Africa’s top high schools. In addition to having their tuition costs covered, the SSP students have the benefit of access to successful people in business and society as their own mentors.