Nomso Kana is expanding broadband infrastructure to underserved areas while championing sustainability, innovation, and women’s empowerment.
Nomso Kana was a nuclear scientist, working in a high-security research lab in South Africa long before becoming a tech entrepreneur. While trying to move sensitive reports across her campus, she had to physically carry them, walking nearly a kilometre between buildings because the lab lacked high-speed broadband. For someone working at the cutting edge of science, that infrastructure gap was frustrating and exposed a much bigger problem. It made her realise how deeply limited South Africa’s digital systems were, especially in underserved areas.
In response to this, she founded Simsciex Technologies in 2014, a tech infrastructure company that builds broadband networks and offers ICT services. She started the company while still working full-time in the lab. By 2017, she transitioned fully into entrepreneurship, determined to bring reliable connectivity to the people and places big telecom providers were ignoring.
About Simsciex Technologies
Simsciex specialises in broadband infrastructure, providing both active and passive network equipment. The company focuses on constructing last-mile networks that link metro broadband builds to end users in rural or hard-to-reach areas. Simsciex also delivers fixed wireless broadband and LTE connectivity in places where laying cable is impractical. In their early days, their first major deployment was a fibre project in Johannesburg, which gave them a foothold in an industry dominated by giants like Vodacom, Telkom, and Vumatel.
From that point, the company expanded into several provinces, including the Eastern Cape, Northern Cape, Free State, and North West. They operate especially in remote greenfield sites, targeting townships and rural communities where connectivity is scarce. Their services go beyond internet access. They also offer data bundles, bundled WiFi packages, IoT solutions, ICT strategy, training, IT hardware and security, and energy-efficient power alternatives for running networks sustainably.
The journey so far
Simsciex Technologies has opened up access to education, business opportunities, and government services by delivering affordable, high-speed internet to previously disconnected communities. They currently employ around 15 people, actively contributing to job creation and local economies. One of their social initiatives, “WiFi for Homework,” helps students in under-resourced areas connect to e-learning platforms and complete school assignments—something many South African students still struggle to do due to poor internet access.
Nomso’s leadership extends beyond her company. In 2019, she was appointed as a Commissioner for South Africa’s Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) initiative within the Presidency. She also sits on several ICT and innovation boards, contributing to national policy and helping shape the country’s technological future.
A strong advocate for gender equity in STEM, Kana actively mentors young women and pushes for more inclusive infrastructure policies. Her work sits at the intersection of science, technology, and social impact.
Now, Simsciex is preparing for its next phase: integrating artificial intelligence and machine learning into its services, and building on its core infrastructure to offer smarter, more adaptive systems.
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