Business Connexion Group
Entrance of the Telkom BCX Hartebeesthoek Satellite Earth Station | |
| BCX | |
| Type | Subsidiary |
| Industry | ICT |
| Founded | 1979 |
| Headquarters | Centurion, Gauteng, South Africa |
Number of locations | 21 data centers[1] |
Area served | Africa Europe Middle East |
| Key people | Hasnain Motlekar (Acting CEO)[2] |
| Services | IT services Cybersecurity Telecoms Cloud computing Managed services[3][4] |
| Revenue | |
Number of employees | 2,000+ (2026)[1] |
| Parent | Telkom |
| Website | bcx |
BCX, officially Business Connexion Pty Ltd, is a South African ICT company,[6] and a subsidiary of major local telecoms company Telkom. The group has operations in Africa, Europe, and the Middle East, and has the largest data center capacity in Southern Africa.[7]
As of 2026, the company operates a total of 21 data centers, and employs over 2,000 people.[1]
History
[edit]The origins of BCX can be traced to 1979, when Persetel was established. In 1997, Persetel merged with Q Data to form Persetel Q Data Holdings. The group acquired several European networking businesses before changing its name to Comparex Holdings in November 1998. In 2000, it sold its European networking business to Dimension Data, while its South African operation was renamed Comparex Africa in 2001.[8]
Separately, brothers Benjamin and Isaac Mophatlane founded Business Connection in 1996. The company merged with Seattle Solutions in 2001, and subsequently expanded through acquisitions and other investments.[9]
In December 2003, Comparex announced its intention to merge with Business Connection. The transaction was completed in April 2004, creating Business Connexion. The operating company was renamed Business Connexion Pty Ltd, and its holding company became Business Connexion Group Ltd. The group was listed on the JSE in April 2004, under the share code BCX.[8][10]
Following the merger, Business Connexion expanded through a number of acquisitions. These included Intrinsic Technology in 2004, Bidvest Network Solutions in 2005, and SiloFX in 2007. In 2010, it acquired several businesses from UCS Group for R614.2 million, including UCS Solutions and UCS Technology Services.[11] In 2011, BCX acquired a controlling interest in Canoa, and in 2012 acquired Integr8 IT.[11][12]
In 2007, major South African telecoms company Telkom made an unsuccessful attempt to acquire BCX.[10][13]
In 2015, Telkom acquired the entire issued share capital of Business Connexion Group for approximately R2.7 billion. The acquisition was completed on 31 August 2015, following regulatory approval, and BCX was subsequently delisted from the JSE. The acquisition expanded Telkom's business beyond telecoms connectivity into ICT services, and provided BCX with greater scale through integration with Telkom's existing operations.[13][14]
In 2016, Telkom and Business Connexion began the integration of their business operations under the Telkom Business Connexion name. BCX co-founder Isaac Mophatlane was appointed chief executive of the new business.[15]
References
[edit]- 1 2 3 "Contact us". BCX. Retrieved 25 September 2026.
- ↑ "Our Leaders". BCX. Retrieved 25 September 2026.
- ↑ "Our Story". BCX. Retrieved 25 September 2026.
- ↑ "Segment information". Telkom. 2026. Retrieved 25 September 2026.
- ↑ "BCX". Telkom. Retrieved 24 September 2026.
- ↑ Sharedata, BCX Annual Report 2010
- ↑ "BCX sets up shop in Kenya | IT News Africa – Africa's Technology News Leader". www.itnewsafrica.com. 19 November 2010. Retrieved 31 August 2017.
- 1 2 "Group history" (PDF). Business Connexion. 2010. Retrieved 25 September 2026.
- ↑ Mudiwa Gavaza (23 August 2023). "Isaac Mophatlane joins Mustek board of directors". Business Day. Retrieved 25 September 2026.
- 1 2 "Isaac Mophatlane on the history of BCX". TechCentral. Retrieved 25 September 2026.
- 1 2 DJ Glazier (10 June 2013). "Charting a careful passage". ITWeb. Retrieved 25 September 2026.
- ↑ I-Net Bridge (15 December 2010). "Business Connexion acquires UCS entities". News24. Retrieved 25 September 2026.
- 1 2 "Consolidated annual financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2016" (PDF). Telkom. 2016. Retrieved 25 September 2026.
- ↑ Simnikiwe Mzekandaba (6 August 2015). "Telkom eyes 1 Sept for BCX integration". ITWeb. Retrieved 24 September 2026.
- ↑ "Telkom Business Connexion Names Chief Executive Officer" (PDF). Telkom. 21 June 2016. Retrieved 25 September 2026.