This collaboration will support ATOMNIA’s rapid expansion of its pay-as-you-go OMNIA offering through its distribution partner, Smart Hands Africa, targeting small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in remote and underserved regions.
The OMNIA solution is designed to meet the networking and security needs of African businesses, especially those operating in challenging environments with unreliable internet and inconsistent power supply. During a signing ceremony held at the AfricaCom reception at the Belgian Consulate in Cape Town, ATOMNIA’s CEO and co-founder Anthony Senter expressed enthusiasm about the partnership’s potential, stating that it has been instrumental in their international growth and particularly in realising their ambitions in Africa. He emphasised the importance of expanding the network of local partners to foster regional business development.
Belgian trade relations with Africa continue to grow, with the EU remaining a significant investor in South Africa. EU member states account for 41% of foreign direct investment in the country, with over 2,000 EU companies operating there, creating hundreds of thousands of jobs. Belgium ranks as the fifth-largest EU supplier to South Africa, with exports reaching EUR 1.5 billion in 2024, and imports totaling EUR 2.9 billion.
Catherine Bauwens, Trade and Investment Counsellor at AWEX, highlighted Africa’s digital transformation momentum, citing a recent trade mission focused on digital technology and smart city solutions involving twelve companies, all of which reported positive outcomes. She expressed confidence in South Africa’s vibrant tech ecosystem, particularly Cape Town, as an ideal environment for international collaboration. She also congratulated ATOMNIA on entering the African market and wished the company success in its growth journey.
The OMNIA platform offers an all-in-one Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) cybersecurity and SD-WAN solution that combines multiple layers of security, connectivity, and AI-powered threat detection. What sets OMNIA apart is its flexible financing options and monthly subscription model, making advanced cybersecurity accessible and affordable for SMEs.
Anton Jacobsz, CEO of Smart Hands Africa, explained that OMNIA was specifically designed to address common challenges faced by African businesses, such as high costs and inflexible global vendor contracts. Its pay-as-you-go model reduces upfront expenses and simplifies deployment, even in remote locations. The product integrates firewalls, analysers, and SD-WAN components into a single, comprehensive package, offering a level of robustness and versatility beyond traditional solutions. It supports multiple connection types — including fibre, LTE/5G, and satellite options like Starlink — and features a 12-volt battery backup, ensuring connectivity in power-unstable areas, making it ideal for remote retail outlets and schools. Additionally, OMNIA’s no long-term contracts or lock-ins provide greater flexibility for users.
The partnership with IGNITY, which has supported ATOMNIA’s growth over the past one year, continues to strengthen their shared vision. Nicolas Vanhaelen, IGNITY liason, praised ATOMNIA’s innovative approach, highlighting their focus on delivering accessible, independent, and secure connectivity solutions outside the influence of traditional industry giants. Vanhaelen affirmed IGNITY’s pride in helping ATOMNIA realise its mission to bring secure, affordable connectivity to underserved regions worldwide.
