MTD Civils and Network Planning reviews 2021
As we all know 2021 was a year of difficulties that required adaptability and flexibility from all industries to remain productive. In this interview with the CEO of MTD Civils and Network Planning, Quintin Groenewald, we discuss the challenges and achievements the company faced in 2021;
Interview with CEO of MTD Civils and Network Planning, Quintin Groenewald
The following questions were asked to Quintin in his office at the company’s new premise, located in Krugersdorp, Roodepoort, a popular suburb of Johannesburg.
In your opinion, what was MTD’s greatest challenge for 2021?
Dealing with the various municipalities and arranging the needed permission to develop a network in each area. Also growing our team has been challenging as it is important to us to have team members who work well with each other.
What was MTD’s greatest achievement for 2021?
One of our biggest achievements this year was completing the fibre network in the Mathjabeng municipality and getting the network stable and maintained. We also acquired DH Fibre which was a huge achievement for us moving forward. Maintenance coverage now at over 20 000 homes.
How did the covid pandemic affect MTD?
We were lucky as fibre installations are seen as an essential service we could continue with business providing we followed all the necessary precautions. We did struggle with staff getting COVID and the monetary implications of staff falling ill and needing the time for recovery while still moving forward with business. We also had to adjust to staff working remotely as much as possible. We also needed to close our office totally for a while to minimize contact which was also difficult to deal with.
How has your business model changed in the last year?
Our business model has remained the same but we have increased our capacity a lot. The volume of work we are completing has risen exponentially in the last year.
MTD promises to uplift the communities it interacts with, how did you do this in 2021?
This year we rebuilt a home in one of our network areas for an elder lady whose home burnt down. We also employed 30 SMEs who in turn hired 384 labourers and passed 3200 homes in a 10 month period.
How did MTD grow in 2021?
MTD moved office’s as we needed new premises that allowed for more office space. We grew our team by 13 permanent staff members and increased our build capacity with the funding received. We also grew our planning department and splicing team while increasing our maintenance coverage for fibre networks.
How many premises did MTD connect to fibre this year?
Approximately 16 000 premises were connected to fibre by MTD this year,
How many poles were planted this year?
1000’s of new poles were planted by our company in 2021.
Which suburbs did you help get connected to fibre this year?
We connected Nigel, Brakpan, Mathjabeng municipality and the Welkom community to fibre this year.
What was the most surprising trend that appeared in the fibre industry for 2021?
We have seen a big increase in build and transfer models in the industry. Many contractors are adapting to some form or another of build and transfer models which we found surprising as previously we saw more businesses focusing on being primary contractors.
We have also seen the need for the internet to grow as the current pandemic has highlighted the need to connect to work or school from the comfort of your own home.
MTD Civils and Network Planning wishes to thank all of their partners, customers and employees for their invaluable support during this difficult year. We are extremely grateful for the blessings we have received this year and hope to continue growing in 2022. The team at MTD offer our warmest thoughts and best wishes for a wonderful festive season. We look forward to working with you all in the new year.
