• Soepa Soap Vervaardigers CC (Inkontak) operates as a regional ISP with its own ASN and multiple BGP peers, signalling growing internet service provider; regional ISP capabilities.
• The broader ISP sector faces challenges including infrastructure investment, regulatory complexity and abuse threats, while innovations like RPKI, fibre-to-wireless and targeted peering are reshaping the field.
Soepa Soap Vervaardigers CC’s ISP footprint
Soepa Soap Vervaardigers CC, also known as Inkontak, is a South African regional Internet service provider based in Emalahleni, Mpumalanga, with its head office at 70 Groen Avenue, Kriel 2271. It holds its own Autonomous System Number (AS328848) and actively peers with numerous networks, including Telkom SA, Cogent Communications and Hurricane Electric, demonstrating increasing connectivity reach.
Within the BGP ecosystem, Inkontak originates both IPv4 and IPv6 prefixes—specifically 102.219.228.0/22 and 2c0f:2600::/32—secured via RPKI, reflecting adherence to modern internet protocols and enhanced routing security.
Also read: DBS Africa: Cameroon IT services and business connectivity
Also read: Newtelnet Cameroun SAS: Business connectivity and network solutions
Industry context: ISP challenges and innovations
Building out infrastructure in remote regions, reducing expanding peering costs, and combating from abuse and security threats such port scans and brute-force attacks are among some of the main challenges that face the internet service provider (ISP) sector both in South Africa and around the world. ISPs confront safety hazards, as evidenced by the numerous allegations of suspicious scanning activity connected to one of Inkontak’s IP addresses. In accordance with innovation, ISPs use methods like fiber-to-wireless hybrid deployments to reach other than towns and cities, RPKI to improve routing trust, and novel peering strategies to lower latency and transit costs.Though direct quotations from company insiders or customers are not publicly accessible, Inkontak’s adoption of multiple upstreams and peers illustrates its alignment with these trends.
Soepa Soap Vervaardigers CC exemplifies how a regional ISP can evolve—from simple local connectivity to becoming a bona fide network operator. By securing its own ASN, establishing diverse peering relationships, and embracing IPv6 with RPKI, Inkontak is advancing against the backdrop of infrastructure challenges and pushing forward through pragmatic innovation.
