customer - Vox

Baby, It’s Cold Outside!

Posted on 27 June 202527 June 2025 by Vivienne Fouche

So snuggle up at home with your Vox Connectivity, and let the weather do its thing without you…

Winter in South Africa has officially arrived around the country (and if you don’t believe me, just ask our Vox Weather meteorologists). Or to put it another way: “Eish guys, it’s freezing!”

It’s raining, it’s pouring, it’s snowing, it’s windy and it’s just plain ‘NO MORE SUNNY SOUTH AFRICA!’ right now, almost everywhere.

So what’s a person to do in the quest to stay warm and dry and happy?

Here at Vox, we have some ideas.

Don’t Worry…

Grab your warm clothes and layer up against the weather. Beanies / scarves / gloves / rain jackets / warm socks, anyone? And as for leg warmers, let’s just call them retro cool; I mean, they can’t be a fashion faux pas any more when Shein and Temu are both bringing them back…
Grab a blanket! Grab two! Or a ‘shoulder blanket’, aka a shawl.
Close the doors, windows, curtains and blinds when the sun’s gone down. Conversely, open those curtains to catch some winter rays on sunny days when you wake up, to let any outside heat stream into your home and slowly warm it up. It’s a simple practice that doesn’t cost anything but it can make a difference.
Put on the heater or light the fire – but safely, please! – and never leave an open flame or fireplace unattended. If you have small children, be aware of any hazards to their safety.
Speaking of retro items, remember hot water bottles? The trick, apparently, is to avoid completely filling your bottle – instead, leave a little room for the hot air to expand so it doesn’t get a pressure build-up and burst. And cover your bottle with a towel if it didn’t come with a cover, to help keep the heat in and also not burn your skin.
And then there’s the non-water bottle – wheat bags that go into the microwave – which are also great for sprains or sore muscles as well as staying warmer. If you don’t have a wheat bag, you could make something similar by filling an old sock with rice, tying the opening closed, and heating up in the microwave for a short while. (Safety note: you probably shouldn’t do this in an air fryer 😊.)
Finally, warm your insides with a nice hot beverage. What’s your preference: coffee, hot chocolate, tea, Rooibos or herbal tea? And of course, wrapping your cold fingers around the hot mug helps as well.

… Be Happy

Right, now that we’ve sorted out some tips for keeping warm, let’s look at the positive side of the dropping thermometer, because cold weather is just made for home entertainment! And when all your connectivity options are covered by Vox, home entertainment is a breeze for the whole family.

Why not settle into a cold weather weekend of online-enhanced fun – here are some of your options to consider:

Streaming entertainment: Netflix, Showmax, Disney+, Amazon Prime Video, and Apple TV+ are all available locally – just grab the popcorn and chocolate (and blanket) and get comfy.
For local content, we’ve got SABC+ especially for news hounds, eVOD with soapies galore, and Afriforum TV for Afrikaans series, podcasts, radio, reality shows and kids content.
For sports options, there’s DSTV Stream and F1TV Pro, as well as Tennis TV Premium for live grand slam tournaments (hey there, Wimbledon season!).
And don’t forget about your fix of YouTube, for the young and the young at heart.

Then there’s online gaming, of course, beloved by millions today around the world. Whether it’s World of Warcraft, Fortnite, Apex Legends, PUBG, Minecraft and so much more, there’s something for everyone, whether you’re a veteran or a curious newcomer, under 10 or a life-long teenager. You just need a keen imagination, fast fingers and faster connectivity. At Vox, we can’t do anything about your manual dexterity, but we can surely take care of your Internet speed!

Away from gaming, you might also want to stay in touch with friends and family with a long-overdue chat via WhatsApp or Vobi, and for those more introspective moments, the readers among us will reach out for a good book. Of course, you can always do it the old-fashioned paper-based way, but online books are also widely available – and often for far less cost.

And finally, let’s not forget about a fix of celebrity gossip – which high-profile million-dollar wedding is taking place for the international glitterati set? Who’s wearing what and who’s cosying up to who? (Looking at you here, Orlando Bloom!)

So really – who wants to leave home when “Baby, it’s cold outside!”

With Vox, the great news is that you don’t have to.

Enjoy!

PS: Just for an added bonus, here’s a link to a revamped version of the classic song, performed by John Legend and Kelly Clarkson (click on the image).

Turbocharge Your Business Operations with a Fibre Internet Line

Posted on 26 June 202527 November 2025 by Vivienne Fouche

How Fibre Internet can give your business – and your employees – a massive boost

Does the Internet at your company’s premises tend to lag or go down more often than not – so your employees are often forced to spend time doing nothing, or else are flocking to the coffee facilities (and then taking ages to get back to work)?

Perhaps your document saving and archiving is an on-premises administrative hassle, or else your on-prem PBX system is the weakest link when the power goes out.

If any of these scenarios sound familiar, then it could be that your organisation’s productivity would benefit massively from a Fibre Internet boost. Business operations today need fast, reliable Internet for everything from their business communication to customer service, and Vox Fibre to the Business is guaranteed to offer you the fastest speeds and most reliable service possible for your Internet connectivity.

The Extensive Benefits of Fibre-Based Internet

Vox offers scalable options with tailored value-adds to suit your business needs. Our Fibre to the Business (FTTB) offerings include Business Fibre, for broadband solutions at excellent prices; Premium Business Fibre, where you get more ‘bang for your buck’ with added value and an improved service; and Dedicated Fibre if your business requires uncontended connectivity and top priority service level agreements (SLAs).

The benefits of a Fibre Optic Internet service for your business include the following:

Faster uploads and downloads: Fibre connections use Fibre Optic cables to transmit data at incredibly fast speeds, by using light pulses, meaning faster uploads and downloads for file sharing and other data-intensive tasks.
Reduction in downtime: Breaks in your company’s Internet service have a negative impact on all operations, including the critical elements of internal and external communication. Setting up a Failover option will help your organisation to remain ready for any challenges, by providing a secondary connection to your company’s Internet via diverse routes and/ or technologies.
Improved productivity: With limited downtime and faster Internet speeds, your employees can download faster, collaborate better, and increase their overall productivity. Reduced lag and latency also improve online video conferencing. Your employees can save on time out of the office by having more online meetings with quality video or VoIP calls, instead of having to meet face-to-face or over a PBX conference phone.
Cloud services and data backup: Fibre Optic Internet connectivity means better access to cloud-based services for storage and backup, as well as other collaboration tools. You can quickly and efficiently access any stored data for seamless business operations.
Increased security: Fibre Optic cables are extremely secure, giving you peace of mind that your sensitive data is better protected.
Cost savings: By eliminating speed issues, increasing the reliability of your Internet, and improving business productivity, you’ll save costs over time. In addition, cloud-based storage options, as well as the implementation of VoIP telecommunications, will save even more in the longer term.
Scalability: With FTTB, you can easily increase your Internet capabilities as the business expands.

Employer of the Year?

As 2025 enters the second half of the year, why not investigate getting a Fibre Connection for your organisation? This way, you can make sure your business is always online with a reliable connection, and with incredibly high data transmission speeds, your employees can easily upload and download files and stay connected with each other, and your customers, at all times.

In addition, VoIP calls can cut your phone costs significantly, both locally and internationally. It all works together to help make the way you do business even better – and efficiently-run organisations tend to have more productive employees. In turn, employees who are enabled with higher business functionality also tend to be happier and more positive at work – nobody likes having to do their job with less effective products and solutions.

And with a bit more ready cash at your disposal, you could even earn some more ‘Employer of the Year’ brownie points with an improved brand of coffee in the kitchen facilities, when it’s finally time for those well-deserved breaks.

Convinced yet? We’d love to hear from you if you’re ready to make the move to Business Fibre.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Business Fibre Internet?
Business Fibre Internet is a commercial-grade Fibre connection with SLAs, priority support and optional uncontended bandwidth (Dedicated Fibre). It’s built for uptime, security and scalability.

What is Dedicated Fibre and why would my business need it?
Dedicated Fibre offers uncontended, 1:1 bandwidth with stronger SLAs, and is ideal for data centres, high-transaction businesses, or organisations running latency-sensitive applications and large-scale cloud services.

How does Failover Internet work with Fibre?
Failover provides a secondary connection over a different route or technology to automatically keep your network online during primary-link outages. It’s recommended for businesses that cannot tolerate downtime.

Can Fibre reduce our phone costs?
Yes. Using VoIP over Fibre can significantly cut local and international call costs, and improves call quality compared with older PSTN or contended mobile links.

Will Fibre help our cloud backup and collaboration?
Absolutely. Fibre’s high throughput and low latency enable faster backups, seamless access to cloud-based tools and better real-time collaboration for distributed teams.

Happy Contact Centres, Increased Agent Retention

Posted on 26 May 202526 May 2025 by Natalie van der Merwe

How to build workplaces that your employees want to work in

Contact centre agents are the immediate face of the company whenever they engage with its customers. When contact centre agents display a positive attitude – as well as excellent skills – this has a correspondingly positive impact on customers’ experiences, and helps with client retention.

In fact, Forbes Magazine has previously published the results from a study which revealed that happy employees are as much as 20 percent more productive in the workplace than unhappy employees – so it’s logical to assume that contact centres are no different.

When agents feel valued, equipped and engaged, they’re more likely to provide excellent service, leading to higher customer satisfaction and loyalty. In short, happy employees create happy customers. However, at the same time, high employee turnover can be a significant challenge for contact centres.

In this article, we unpack the benefits of providing a positive experience for your contact centre agents – and how to create it.

Benefits of a Happy Workplace Environment

High staff turnover rates are costly in several ways, including in the consistency and quality of customer service, as well as in the more easily measured costs of recruitment and training expenses. Research has shown that replacing a single contact centre agent can cost up to 30 percent of their annual salary, making retention not just a people issue but also a financial one.

Happy and engaged contact centre agents are important to your business for the following reasons:

Increased productivity and retention: Happy agents are more likely to stay with the company longer, which improves their overall knowledge and efficiency and, in turn, the customers’ experience. Turnover costs can ultimately be reduced.
Reduced stress and burnout: When employees are happy, they’re less likely to experience stress and burnout, which can negatively affect their well-being and performance at work.
Improved customer experience: Engaged agents are more likely to be empathetic listeners and effective communicators, leading to better customer interactions and satisfaction.
Enhanced customer loyalty: When customers have positive experiences with call centre agents, they are more likely to recommend the company to others.

Having outlined why happy employees make a positive impact on your business, let’s look at some of the particular hurdles that contact centre agents deal with.

Addressing the Challenges Faced by Agents

The specific challenges of contact centre agents include the following:

High stress levels: Handling escalated customer issues without adequate support can contribute to burnout.
Monotonous work: Repetitive tasks can make agents feel unfulfilled and undervalued.
Mismatched expectations: Agents often face pressure to meet metrics like call handling time, which can conflict with delivering quality customer service.

Addressing the particular challenges of contact centre agents requires a proactive approach that includes engagement, empowerment and growth. Measures to keep contact centre agents happy include the following:

Provide adequate training and resources and ensure that your agents have the necessary tools, technology and training to effectively handle customer inquiries.
Recognise and reward performance and gather regular feedback from your agents, providing them with opportunities for professional development.
Consider offering flexible work schedules or remote work options to improve work-life balance.
Implement programmes that promote physical and mental health, such as stress management training or access to employee assistance programmes.
Promote a positive work environment and foster a culture of respect, teamwork, and open communication.
Consider using gamification to make your agents’ work more engaging and rewarding. The idea is to integrate entertaining and immersive gaming elements into a working context to enhance employee engagement. Gamification strategies use game design and features, such as badges, leaderboards, points and rewards, to encourage active participation and make tasks fun and enjoyable.

Smartz Solutions Key Features that Empower Agents

The company understands that agent experience is the foundation of customer experience. Its platform is designed to address the challenges agents face, creating a workplace where they feel empowered, valued and motivated. The Smartz Solutions platform’s key features include:

Unified dashboards: A single interface is used to manage all channels, reducing complexity and allowing agents to focus on customers, thereby boosting efficiency.
Omni-channel engagements: Through a unified platform, agents are able to interact across multiple channels. This enhances their efficiency and improves customer service, while also allowing them to maximise their specific skills by matching them with the most suitable communication channels, enhancing their performance and job satisfaction.
Gamification tools: Engaging features drive performance and keep agents motivated.
Quality assurance integration: Feedback loops help agents continuously improve their skills.
Built-in training modules: Easy access to resources helps agents to be always prepared. Even when new agents are appointed, the built-in training modules ensure that each agent receives a consistent training experience and the correct knowledge to perform their duties effectively.
Integration: By integrating customer relationship management (CRM) or enterprise resource planning (ERP) software into the contact centre, agents have seamless access to customer data, which enables them to be more efficient and productive, and provide a better customer experience.

Gamification: The Fun Side of Work

Modern technology and data visualisation techniques enable agents to better understand their performance strengths and weaknesses. By incorporating game mechanics, organisations use an element of fun into the workplace while reinforcing performance norms.

Leaderboards, badges and tokens provide examples of real-world colleague achievements. In addition, this data becomes invaluable in facilitating productive and meaningful discussions about career progression, empowering your agents to set achievable goals and strive for continuous improvement.

Culture and Support builds Resilient Agents

Smartz Solutions understands that contact centre agent experience is the foundation of customer experience. By addressing workplace challenges, empowering agents with the right tools, and fostering a culture of support and recognition, organisations can ensure that their contact centres are places where employees thrive.

In turn, businesses can reduce turnover, enhance customer experiences and set themselves apart in a competitive market.

Vox, in partnership with Smartz Solutions, is committed to helping businesses achieve this transformation. With tools and strategies that focus on agent and customer experiences alike, the company is redefining the experiences of both customers and employees in the contact centre industry.

Is Your Business Wi-Fi Due for an Upgrade?

Posted on 21 May 202521 May 2025 by Craig Blignaut

A better Wi-Fi environment brings increased productivity to your employees and your organisation

Business Wi-Fi provides your employees with their gateway to the Internet, including operations in the Cloud. This requires stability and reliability – and as your business grows, your Wi-Fi needs may change. What worked for your organisation yesterday may not be sufficient in the future as your company’s Wi-Fi requirements increase.

Perhaps your organisation’s infrastructure was installed a few years ago, but as cost-effectively as possible – it may have been that the Wi-Fi requirement then wasn’t as much of a focus point as it has since become. Now, your organisation is growing and the need for improved Wi-Fi services is apparent.

Let’s have a look at why your business Wi-Fi may be due for an upgrade – and the steps you can take to implement this.

A Better Wi-Fi Environment Brings Increased Productivity

Wi-Fi has been around for the past 25 to 30 years and has evolved significantly during that time. With vastly more applications and computer programs available today, a much higher throughput is required to maximise the experience of the users in your organisations.

The days of having a single room with Wi-Fi access in it within the entire premises, or a dedicated area across the particular floor in the building, are long gone. People today expect Wi-Fi access in every environment that they move into. Your corporate solution therefore needs to work properly and enable productivity – you don’t want your employees being forced to spend five to 10 minutes trying to connect. Conversely, a better Wi-Fi environment brings increased productivity.

With a clear requirement for functionally excellent Wi-Fi access throughout the organisation, it may be time to invest in better, enterprise-level equipment, and an organisation that can assist you in managing and planning the Wi-Fi design as efficiently as possible.

Advantages of Upgrading Your Business Wi-Fi Network

Vox provides managed Wi-Fi services for businesses. This enables remote software and firmware updates, and reduced technician call-outs, through remote troubleshooting and fault remediation.

One of our services is offering audits on existing Wi-Fi, because with legacy old equipment, security becomes a risk. We also know that not every business is looking for brand-new Wi-Fi in a new building from scratch. Very often, we find that we’re taking over the legacy Wi-Fi previously used by the company, and we may be able to upgrade the existing assets or infrastructure.

The advantages of upgrading your business Wi-Fi network include the following:

Increased speed and bandwidth;
Improved connection reliability;
Improved security and privacy; and
Easier setup and management.

Security alone is a particularly serious issue, as network threats are becoming increasingly sophisticated. At Vox, we are keenly aware of the need to carry out regular software updates on our network equipment, such as access points and switches, as is necessary with all technology.

An access point can become a security risk if no one is managing it: for example, the manufacturer could find security vulnerabilities with certain equipment, and if it doesn’t get a security patch or update, the access point becomes vulnerable.

Overcoming Wi-Fi Challenges Presented by Infrastructure

The construction materials used in buildings, such as concrete, glass, brick and metal, can interfere with Wi-Fi signals and obstruct them in different ways, especially in larger or older buildings with thick walls. To counteract this challenge, Vox uses specialised software to create virtual models of your office space.

This software considers the different structural properties of the various building materials, allowing you to predict how Wi-Fi signals will travel and where obstacles might cause issues.

This virtual planning considers such factors as signal strength as well as how to determine the best access point and placement for access points and switches, to optimise network performance and capacity in areas where it’s needed most.

Vox Managed Wi-Fi Solutions

Our business Wi-Fi offerings are designed to optimise your Wi-Fi coverage, extend range and expand networking possibilities, enhancing the user experience and providing seamless, reliable connectivity for all devices, as follows:

Solve network issues and limit service centre interaction, reducing technical call outs. Network analytics provides information such as alarms, incidents and client experience information, including time to connect to the access points.
Radio Frequency (RF) design and planning: Our RF heatmap design software enables correct planning, scoping and implementation to improve overall Wi-Fi experience for both users and organisations.
Enterprise Equipment: Vox partners with enterprise grade equipment vendors, such as Ruckus Networks, to provide robust equipment from access points to managed switches and management cloud platforms, offering enhanced Wi-Fi connections and capacity for concurrent user devices.

Bespoke Managed Wi-Fi Solutions with Vox

The benefits of managed Wi-Fi solutions ensure, for example, that your organisation carries out regular, planned security updates in the same way as for our phones and computers. Vox offers any organisation a bespoke Wi-Fi solution according to their particular requirements.

We also understand the requirements of speed versus capacity. For example, your organisation might have a boardroom that is required to facilitate a meeting with 100 people in it once a week, and otherwise is seldom used. At Vox, we understand how to cater to the capacity that may be only required from time to time.

A managed Wi-Fi solution also offers convenience, as our Service Centre is able to remotely troubleshoot and improve network performance using cloud-based administrative tools. This ensures that more connected devices can enjoy uninterrupted Wi-Fi in your business.

It all speaks to ongoing connectivity, which in turn speaks to improved productivity.

Is your business Wi-Fi due for an upgrade? Feel free to reach out to us on 087 805 5050 or via email on corporatesales@voxtelecom.co.za and begin a discussion.

WhatsApp and Your Customers

Posted on 10 April 202510 April 2025 by Natalie van der Merwe

A Powerful Channel for Contact Centres

We all know that mobile phones were originally invented to enable Voice calls that could be made and received on the go, and not just through a fixed land line. And so it’s ironic that we’re seeing an increasing trend in recent years for consumers to use their smart phones for text-based communication more than for Voice calls. This pattern brings ramifications for businesses as well as individuals.

The ‘texting versus calling’ trend is highly visible in private conversations as well as in the communication preferences that people have with businesses, including contact centres.

WhatsApp has become one of the world’s most popular and widely used text-based apps, and its features and popularity bring significant benefits to contact centres also – so much so that WhatsApp has, in fact, become one of the most powerful channels for contact centre usage today. Let’s unpack this further, starting with insights on why texting itself can be so useful.

Don’t Call Me (Send Me a Text)

Texting provides a quick and efficient way to communicate. There’s no need for pleasantries or small talk (especially if you’re not in the mood!) – you can simply get straight to the point. In a world where time is a precious commodity, many people see this as an advantage, especially when they’re busy or under stress.

Some of the advantages of texting include the following:

Great for multi-tasking: Texting allows people to communicate during brief free moments, including in the ‘asynchronous’ timing of messages (where both the sender and the recipient of the message don’t have to be in ‘chat mode’ at exactly the same time). For example, you can send a text message just before setting off on a trip to work and then read the response when you’ve arrived at the office, or you could send a text while waiting for your computer to finish a series of planned updates. The important thing is that you can text at a time that works for you.
Texting is easy: Even members of an older generation understand how to text on their smartphones, and it’s easier than a Voice call for anyone who is hearing impaired. For those who are introverts, or living in a country where the primary business language isn’t their first language, texting can be easier than trying to speak on the phone.
Efficiency of use: Texting allows us to get straight to the point – we ask a direct question, get a straightforward answer, and carry on with our schedule.
Written record: In addition, text messages remain with you and can be referred back to for further information or confirmation, if required.
Unintrusive communications: You don’t need to interrupt whatever you’re doing to immediately read or answer a message – you can do it at your convenience (at least most of the time). A phone call, on the other hand, requires real-time (‘synchronous’) communication at a time when it may not suit both parties to make or receive a call.
Synched to your computer: As an additional advantage, WhatsApp’s useful functionality also allows you to synch your smartphone to your laptop or desktop computer, so you can have the additional convenience of sending text messages via a device with a bigger keyboard, which for some people is more convenient.

So much for the advantages of being able to text your messages. Among the many communication channels available, WhatsApp has emerged as a gamechanger.

WhatsApp: Powering Ahead in Popularity and Availability

With over 2 billion active users globally, WhatsApp has become an incredibly popular and important platform within the digital communications landscape. Originally designed as a simple messaging app, it’s now a critical tool for contact centres, providing superb accessibility and efficiency, and enhancing customer engagement.

WhatsApp’s usage in contact centres has been a logical business extension because it’s versatile, widely available as well as extensively used, and able to deliver seamless, personalised experiences at scale.

Here are some thought-provoking statistics:

96% of South Africans use WhatsApp.
Globally, 68% of users check WhatsApp daily, indicating high engagement.
Over 175 million people message a WhatsApp Business account every day.

For contact centres, this means a ready-made audience that prefers the platform for its convenience and immediacy.

Benefits for Contact Centres

Using WhatsApp can benefit contact centres in several different ways, including accessibility, real-time conversations, a variety of media formats and cost-efficiency.

Accessibility: WhatsApp’s widespread usage ensures that businesses can reach customers almost anywhere. Unlike voice or email, which require specific setups, WhatsApp operates on a platform most customers already use on a daily basis.
Real-time conversations: The platform supports fast and efficient interactions for resolving customer queries, sending notifications and collecting feedback.
Rich media capabilities: WhatsApp supports a variety of media formats, including text, images, videos, documents and voice notes. This versatility allows businesses to share detailed information, demonstrate solutions visually, and provide instructions.
Cost efficiency: Compared to Voice or SMS channels, WhatsApp offers a more affordable solution for high-volume interactions. Businesses can save costs while maintaining high levels of service.
Track chat history: WhatsApp keeps track of all customer interactions, providing a complete view of the user journey. This ensures continuity and context, allowing for multiple agents to seamlessly assist customers.
Single place of interaction: Integrating WhatsApp into the contact centre software allows agents to manage all customer communications from one platform, streamlining workflows and improving response times.
Automation: WhatsApp can be integrated with chatbots to handle common queries, freeing up human agents to handle more complex issues.

Smartz Solutions: Integrating WhatsApp into Your Customer Journey

The Ultimate Guide to understanding WhatsApp Business | Vox | WhatsApp and Your Customers — Image courtesy of Smarz Solutions

Vox has proudly partnered with Smartz Solutions, which has been at the forefront of enabling businesses to embrace WhatsApp as part of its omnichannel communication strategy.

By seamlessly integrating WhatsApp with other channels like Voice, email and web chat, SmartzSolutions empowers contact centres to offer customers increased flexibility, helping businesses in the following ways:

Rapid Deployment: The company has a proven track record of being able to deploy a WhatsApp bot in under 24 hours, handling unprecedented interaction volumes effortlessly.
Seamless Integration: SmartzSolutions ensures that WhatsApp is part of a cohesive omnichannel strategy so that every interaction, regardless of channel, contributes to a unified customer experience.
Sentiment Analysis and Personalisation: By integrating sentiment analysis, the company helps businesses to tailor their WhatsApp interactions, ensuring they resonate with a customer’s unique needs and emotions.

Voice and WhatsApp: Coexisting for the Ultimate Solution

It’s important to remember that, while WhatsApp is revolutionising customer communication, Voice will always have a critical place in the contact centre. In particular, we find that urgent, complex or emotionally charged issues often require a human touch, and Voice channels remain the most effective way to provide that – there’s nothing like speaking voice to voice to a sympathetic person over the phone when someone has an issue or challenge.

The future for contact centres lies in balancing these channels, allowing customers to choose the method that best suits their needs at a particular time. WhatsApp can handle routine queries and initial touchpoints, while Voice agents step in for more complex interactions. Together, they form a complementary strategy that maximises efficiency and satisfaction.

5-Star Experience vs 1-Star Google Review: Your Guests Want Great Wi-Fi

Posted on 17 March 202518 March 2025 by Craig Blignaut

How the Travel Industry Needs to Get Connected

From the moment that plane commuters reach their destination, travellers around the world can immediately hear the surround-sound beeping noises as passengers, now safely arrived, turn on their phones to once again become fully connected. We find a similar story when travellers arrive at their guesthouse or hotel: according to a travel industry survey, one-third of guests ask for the Wi-Fi password as they register at the front desk, and two-thirds are online within seven minutes of checking in.

It just proves once again that in today’s connected world, being able to access information and communication services is increasingly important. Just because someone is away from home doesn’t mean they don’t need to stay connected, even when on holiday (unless they’re making the deliberate choice to go off-line).

As for business travellers, a seamless Internet experience is necessary to communicate with clients and colleagues, access work documents and take part in meetings. Providing quick and efficient Wi-Fi services allows both leisure and business guests to enjoy their stay without undue stress.

Let’s look at how the Wi-Fi experience in a guesthouse or hotel can shape either a five-star guest experience or earn your establishment an unwanted one-star Google review.

Wi-Fi For Guests: A Fundamental Hospitality Amenity

People who travel want to update others on their safe whereabouts, and being unable to receive communication, or send outbound messages, can cause anxiety. By providing reliable, fast Wi-Fi services from the moment of registration, hotel guests can start to relax and enjoy their stay sooner.

Access to excellent Wi-Fi increasingly ranks as a necessity for today’s traveller when choosing a hotel – right up there with comfort, cleanliness, and excellent food and beverage offerings. With mobile devices, laptops and remote work now prevalent, complimentary access to Wi-Fi has become a key requirement for both business travellers and holiday makers.

A speed of 10 to 20Mbps per guest is recommended as being a decent Wi-Fi offering that should comfortably allow your guests to stream in full HD – you wouldn’t receive complaints if your customers had access to these speeds.

Excellent Wi-Fi adds to the guest experience, while the opposite also holds true: unhappiness with the Wi-Fi can make people more easily inclined to find fault in other, unrelated areas. From a purely commonsense perspective, this seems counter-intuitive, and a negation of the cost and effort that’s been spent on the marketing initiatives to entice the traveller to your establishment in the first place.

Factors to Consider for your Guests’ Wi-Fi

While most hotels and guesthouses today offer complimentary Wi-Fi service to guests, it might not be equivalent to what people are used to having in their own homes, which can cause frustration.

Considerations when choosing a guest Wi-Fi solution include the following:

Cost: The pricing structure will be based on the coverage area, usage and the number of users.
Technical support: Reliable customer support is critical.
Compliance requirements: The network must meet relevant data privacy and security regulations.

Elevating the Wi-Fi Experience

Vox provides managed Wi-Fi services for businesses. This enables remote software and firmware updates, as well as remote troubleshooting and fault remediation using cloud-based administrative tools. This all works to enhance ongoing connectivity.

Vox offers audits on existing Wi-Fi, because we know that not every business is looking for a new-build Wi-Fi, and we may be able to upgrade existing assets or infrastructure. To provide a superior internet experience for guests, hotels and guesthouses should ensure that they:

Invest in high-speed Internet infrastructure (the foundation of your Wi-Fi experience) to support faster bandwidth and improve overall performance.

Implement a reliable Wi-Fi network that covers all areas of the premises, including common areas and guest rooms.
Optimise the Wi-Fi signal strength with strategic placement of Wi-Fi access points or meshdevices, to ensure a strong and consistent connection throughout the premises.
Implement robust security measures such as strong encryption and password protocols.

With Vox, our aim is to enhance your guests’ Wi-Fi experience. We can provide a neatly pre-packaged Wi-Fi mesh unit solution to ensure that all areas of the guesthouse are serviced. These mesh units are also easily managed by a user-friendly app, which further enhances the functionality. If more advanced cabling solutions are required, perhaps for a larger premises, our technicians and engineers can set up the solution.

Happy Guests, Positive Business Outcomes

Noting that ‘The Customer is King’ is especially critical in the travel industry – guests want to feel valued as they step over the threshold, and excellent Wi-Fi is a key aspect of attracting quality guests and then retaining them for future return visits.

Investing in fast and dependable Wi-Fi access gives you a competitive edge in terms of increased guest satisfaction and corresponding loyalty. It’s also important to gather feedback from your guests to stay on top of any Internet connectivity issues that might have occurred, to keep your standards consistently high.

Another consideration is for South African hoteliers to aim their marketing at the local target market. The rise of domestic travel since the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic presents an alternative option in addition to targeting overseas guests. Arguably, domestic tourists might also be more easily able to plan a repeat visit if they’re content with their overall experience.

With everything that South Africa has to offer tourists, both local and international, wouldn’t it be a pity for guests to be unhappy with your Wi-Fi offering, when it’s a relatively simple amenity to offer – to excellent standards – thanks to experts like Vox?

Talk to us at Vox if you have any questions or concerns about setting up a great guesthouse Wi-Fi experience. We’d love to hear from you – contact us via help@voxtelecom.co.za or call 087 805 0530.

How to Make the Most of Your Vox Connectivity Line

Posted on 14 February 202514 November 2025 by Vivienne Fouche

Tips to make sure you’re getting what you signed up for

Picture the scene. It’s early afternoon and your small one is streaming HD videos in one room, your teenager is on a video call in their bedroom, and mom and dad are both working from home, simultaneously accessing the Internet via different laptops, in two other corners of the house. Best of all, thanks to your Fibre to the Home (FTTH) Internet connection, there’s no buffering or lagging in sight.

How to Make the Most of Your Vox Connectivity Line — How to make the most of your Vox connectivity line

Looking back, it’s quite surprising to think that even 15 years ago, this wasn’t a common scenario – for starters, YouTube was only started in 2005, and Netflix Streaming in January 2007. As for widespread Fibre connectivity in South Africa, it was still just a twinkle in somebody’s eye, because the first subsea Fibre cable to reach South Africa went live only in 2009. Today, Internet access has become one of the most important areas of our lives.

Internet connectivity opens us up to an incredible world of information, entertainment and opportunity, and nobody wants a slow or buffering connection, while price and value-conscious consumers are justifiably concerned about getting true value from their purchases. But what happens when you’ve paid for a decent Internet package, but it doesn’t seem to be working quite as well as you expected? When the Modern Family-inspired Internet scenario sketched out above starts stuttering and freezing?

Because even with a Fibre Internet connection – generally regarded as the crème de la crème of Internet connectivity – several factors can still reduce the performance of your Fibre to the Home (FTTH) Internet speed and reliability.

This article looks at how you can make the most of your Vox FTTH Connectivity line when certain challenges rear their heads.

Wi-Fi: Enabling Wireless Connectivity from Your Fibre Optic Line

Good Internet connectivity depends on many factors, including your Internet Service Provider (ISP) first and foremost, as well as the speed of your chosen Internet package; whether your devices are modern or no longer that new; and Wi-Fi options and challenges.

The job of a Wi-Fi router is to ‘convert’ the data packets carried within light pulses through Fibre Optic cables laid in your neighbourhood, into the Wi-Fi radio wave signal inside your home.
This then enables your family’s digital devices – laptops, tablets, smartphones and smart TVs – to link into the Internet, creating a wireless Internet connection for your home (cable-free Internet, in other words).

Wi-Fi functionality is integral to the performance of your Fibre-based Internet line.

Improving Your Wireless Signal

If your internet connectivity line doesn’t seem to be giving you the results you were expecting, or if you’re experiencing Wi-Fi dead zones in your home (caused by the distance of your device from the wireless router, thick walls or electrical interference), there are a few things you can do to improve your Wi-Fi network, as follows:

Router position: Choose a central location in your home, and raise the router off the floor. Also, don’t place the Wi-Fi router inside a cupboard or desk. Sometimes just raising the router a little higher up from the floor for better signal distribution will increase its range and speed. Make sure your router is away from other electronic and electrical equipment, metal objects and solid brick or concrete walls.
Router speed: Your router should handle a speed rated the same or higher than your chosen Internet package. And so, if your Fibre Internet is 500Mbps, your router should be able to offer speeds at least this fast.
Number of devices: All Wi-Fi equipment supplied by Vox is strong enough to cover an estimated 100 square metres, depending on what material your walls are made of. Vox recommends adding an additional device for every 50 to 100 square metres extra.
Mesh System to enhance signal: If the Wi-Fi range in your house is poor, a Vox mesh router system can help to push the signal further, so the whole family can stay connected throughout the house, providing an uninterrupted lag-free high-speed Wi-Fi connection for multiple devices in every corner of your home.
How many mesh units can I have in my home? The Vox two-pack can connect up to 100 devices and you can include up to eight units in your home if more coverage is needed. A Vox Wi-Fi Home Mesh network can handle a mix of IoT products, smart TVs, smartphones, tablets and other electronic devices, such as wireless printers.
Other devices can interfere with your Wi-Fi connection, including microwave ovens, cordless phones, Bluetooth products, baby monitors, alarms, cameras and other wireless LANs. To prevent this, position the Wi-Fi router or mesh extender as far away as possible from microwave ovens, Bluetooth devices, and 2.4 GHz cordless phones.
App-Enabled: If you want to check your Wi-Fi range, there are apps available for Apple and Android smartphones, for example ‘Sweetspot’ for Apple and ‘WiFi analyzer’ for Android.

Not Just the Wi-Fi to Consider

A Wi-Fi router is not the only critical component that enhances your user experience.

Wired after all: As outlined above, a Wi-Fi Home Mesh network can provide incredibly strong Internet connectivity, but there are still times when an Ethernet cable might be the best solution – for example, if you have very thick walls, or for plugging into an HD television or gaming setup, where the speed needs to stay high and the connectivity lag-free. Look at buying an Ethernet cable that is rated for ‘Cat 5e’ or ‘Cat 6’.
Great Internet, old device = problem: You won’t get the maximum range and performance from a newer wireless router unless your devices also use the same Wi-Fi standard. An old laptop is unlikely to have ‘ac’ or ‘n’ Wi-Fi access, so check the specifications to see which wireless standard it is using. If you don’t want to buy a new laptop straight away, you can buy a wireless adapter that plugs into a USB port on your laptop.

The Magic of Blazing Fast Internet

When you signed up for your FTTH Internet connection, you chose an option for yourself and your family that is fast, reliable and future-proof, and ready to deliver you the best possible Internet experience. Considering its scope and importance, maximising your internet connectivity line is critically important.

The good news is that you can optimise your home Wi-Fi experience with the right choice of routers, extenders and mesh options.

Your Vox Home Fibre line is future‑proof and capable of delivering outstanding home Internet, but a few simple tweaks to router placement, device choices and using mesh or Ethernet where needed will ensure the whole family gets the experience you expected.

If you need help optimising your home Wi‑Fi or want to add Vox Wi‑Fi Home Mesh, simply visit vox.co.za, sign up with Vox, or contact Vox Support on 087 805 0530.

With Vox Fibre to the Home, you are enabled by great Internet access. Welcome to a world of online opportunities.

Frequently Asked Questions

How can I tell if the issue is my Vox Fibre line or my home Wi‑Fi?

Run a speed test directly from a device connected by Ethernet to your router. If wired speeds match your plan, the issue is likely Wi‑Fi or device related.

How many Vox mesh units do I need?

A Vox two‑pack covers many typical homes and supports up to 100 devices. You can add up to eight units for larger homes or difficult layouts.

Where should I place my router for best coverage?

Position the router centrally, elevated and away from thick walls, metal objects and kitchen appliances. Avoid cupboards or behind large furniture.

Will a mesh system reduce my Internet speed?

A well-configured mesh keeps speeds high across the home. For best performance, place mesh units strategically and use wired backhaul where possible.

Do I need a new router if I upgrade my Vox Fibre package?

Your router should support the speed of your new package. If it’s rated lower than your plan, consider upgrading to a higher‑spec router or Vox Wi‑Fi Home Mesh.

Can old devices cause slow Wi‑Fi for the whole house?

Older devices can occupy airtime and reduce performance for others. Where possible, update device Wi‑Fi adapters or move bandwidth‑heavy tasks to wired connections.

Is Ethernet worth the hassle for a smart TV or console?

Yes. Ethernet (Cat 5e/Cat 6) offers the most reliable, low‑latency connection and is ideal for HD streaming and competitive gaming.

How do I contact Vox Support for help?

Visit vox.co.za for product info and self-service tools, or call Consumer Support on 087 805 0530 for assistance.

Vox Hosting with the Mosting

Posted on 21 January 2025 by Vivienne Fouche

Providing a solution to meet your business requirements

Customer loyalty today demands digital options. If your business doesn’t have an attractive and well-functioning website, your potential customers will shop elsewhere.

South Africa’s online retail sector showed a significant increase in the past few years, growing by almost 30 percent (29 percent) between 2022 and 2023. Having reached the R71 billion mark in 2023, online sales are now anticipated to break the R100 billion barrier by 2026 – which is just around the corner.

And so, with South Africa’s online sales soaring, there’s never been a better time to make sure your business has a functioning website. Even with a bricks-and-mortar operation, it’s essential to back it up with an online option as well.

If you’re keen to upgrade your company’s online presence quickly and effectively – or even kickstart one if you haven’t got a website already – Vox offers several different hosting experiences with solutions to meet your business’s unique requirements, no matter your budget.

Domain and Web Hosting: The Right Address and Functioning Operations

In the physical world, you need an address so your customers can find you, and you need premises from which to operate. These two terms represent different things in terms of getting your website infrastructure up and running.

Start with an address: Domain hosting is a service that allows you to choose and register a unique online name for your website and brand, in other words your web address.
Make sure your premises are fit for purpose: Behind the address lies the property from which your business operates. Web hosting is essentially what stores all your site’s information and files. It’s usually a server, or space on a server.
Let your customers come inside: When someone uses your domain to access your website, signals are sent to the server, which then opens up your live site for the customer – the online version of ‘going into your shop’.

With Vox Web Hosting, you rent space on our server and host your website contents through us. We offer multiple platforms to choose from, including WordPress, Linux and Windows. Vox Web Hosting includes a free .co.za domain.

Backed by Vox Expertise

As well as being able to choose from multiple platforms and have a free domain, Vox Web Hosting also offers the following benefits:

Extensive network coverage: Vox Web Hosting has an established national and international backbone with over 13 local PoPs (Point of Purchase outlets) and footprints in all the Teraco Data Centre environments.
Security Team: All servers sit behind Vox’s state-of-the-art firewall infrastructure, with virus management and security updates.
24/7 Expert Support: Our servers are locally hosted and managed around the clock by our engineering team for peace of mind.
Includes a Free SSL Certificate: If you’re going to run a prosperous website that is secure for your users and browsers, SSL certificates are an essential. Vox SSL Certificates keep your customers’ confidence by ensuring the safety of their data while they visit your website.

WordPress, Linux and Windows are some of the world’s most popular website hosting platforms today, and Vox Web Hosting is proud to bring you different options across each brand.

Shared Web Hosting: Linux and Windows

Shared hosting makes getting started online simpler and easier, saving you money, as well as taking the headache out of hosting.

With Vox shared Web Hosting, our customers experience a form of web hosting in which more than one website shares the resources of a single virtual or physical server, which means a stable but also low-cost solution.

Choose from Linux options as follows:

Linux Basic: 1GB of storage, 25 email addresses;
Linux Standard: 4GB of storage, 75 email addresses;
Linux Advanced: 20 GB of storage, 200 email addresses; and
Linux Ultimate: 30 GB of storage, 250 email addresses.

Alternatively, Vox Web Hosting also offers Windows options, as follows:

Windows Standard: 2GB of storage, 100 email addresses;
Windows Advanced: 4GB of storage, 200 email addresses; and
Windows Ultimate: 20GB of storage, 250 email addresses.

Premium WordPress Hosting

If you want to kick your website functionality up a notch, consider WordPress. Over the last two decades, WordPress has grown from being a simple blogging website to one of the world’s most used hosting platforms today.

Our premium WordPress offering delivers performance and scalability to your fingertips. It’s an excellent solution for customers who require better performance, uptime and scalability – although please note: it doesn’t come with email addresses built into the offering.

WordPress Starter is ideal for startups that require a professional WordPress website, offering 50GB storage and able to cater to up to 30,000 visitors monthly.
WordPress Innovator is perfect for growing businesses that need to scale and require speed and reliability, with 100 GB storage and ideal for up to 120,000 monthly visitors.
WordPress Fanatic is excellent for running an e-commerce website, with 150GB storage. It’s capable of catering to an unlimited number of visitors monthly.

Which Option to Choose?

Whether your business is already established or a startup about to take off, you need a strong online presence. From your website address to the online ‘premises’ behind it, Vox has the right option to help you with your online sales.

Shared hosting shares a single physical server with hundreds (if not thousands) of other websites, giving you a low-cost service. WordPress hosting is tweaked for high traffic websites, providing excellent performance and faster loading websites.

Contact us for more information and we can assist you with working out the option that’s best for your business. We can help you establish a business identity, give your organisation a professional look and feel, and build credibility on the web.

Join the sales revolution and be part of the drive to reach the one billion Rand online sales mark next year!

Vox and the Lions Group – A Case Study

Posted on 2 December 20243 December 2024 by Stefan Pretorius

The Lions Group consists of three entities, namely the Golden Lions Rugby Union, the Lions Rugby Company, and EPS Management. Collectively, the three companies are the custodians of rugby in their region, from grassroots development all the way up to international interprovincial teams. While their primary focus is rugby, the Group has diversified its revenue streams to include various other activities, including concerts, sporting events, commercial rentals, and private functions and conferencing.

Pieter Burger, Manager Director: EPS, explains: “We have a passion for innovation and doing things differently, and consistent improvements in and around our facilities make them not only relevant, but also industry leaders in certain areas. This flexibility in our product offering, combined with innovation, is what distinguishes us from our competitors.”

The Business Challenge

During big games or concerts, stadiums face unique challenges due to their large, dense crowds, and one of these challenges involves providing connectivity to the highest standard.

Excellent connectivity is needed for broadcasting purposes, both within the stadium as well as to external broadcasting channels; financial transactions, including the sales of food and beverages and retail items; and Wi-Fi connectivity for the fans, which is an imperative for any live entertainment experience.

“As with any large sports and entertainment stadium, technology plays an important role in customer experiences at the Emirates Airline Park (Ellis Park Stadium), the home of the Golden Lions rugby team,” notes Stefan Pretorius: Enterprise Key Account Manager at Vox.

“Through Vox’s use of innovative technology, we assist in providing both stadium employees and customers alike with positive experiences during high-profile events. The use of network optimisation techniques can help maintain a high-quality Wi-Fi connection for everyone, but it all starts with sufficient and optimal broadband infrastructure.”

“As part of the entertainment industry, it is critical for the Lions Group to know that innovative technology and leading connectivity are together able to enhance high performance, as well as the consumers’ experience and preferences,” adds Burger. “Connectivity access networks, and their reliable uptime, is key in our industry.”

The Business Solution

Pretorius clarifies that Vox is responsible for supplying all connectivity to Emirates Airline Park, as follows:

Two 1Gbps dedicated Business Fibre links;
One 200Mbps dedicated Business Fibre link to the practice stadium next door;
Firewalls; and
An SD-WAN Solution for load balancing.

“Vox is a strategic partner of the Lions Group,” says Burger, “and we have benefited from our existing partnership with them for some years now. One of these advantages is that, as our technology requirements progressively increase, so we turn to Vox to implement enhancements as required.

“Before signing up with Vox, our main concerns and challenges involved Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), Connectivity and cloud solutions. Today, as our infrastructure partner, Vox provides excellent bandwidth and reliable uptime, and takes care of any required upgrades following a needs assessment and consultation. We also enjoy efficient support from Vox very quickly whenever required.”

Overall Experience with Vox

“We never have any concerns or issues with the implementation processes for our chosen solutions, which are always effectively handled by Vox engineers,” comments Burger. “Just like the Lions Group, we know that Vox has a strong entrepreneurial spirit and always strives to improve and enhance its service offering and effectiveness, and we admire and appreciate this shared synergy.

“We believe that Emirates Airline Park has the best bandwidth and reliability of any stadium in South Africa, as was displayed to such good effect during the Springboks versus New Zealand test in August 2024. Our relationship and overall experience with Vox is excellent – we could not ask for a better partner!”

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