Networking and cybersecurity specialist, ATOMNIA, the Wallonia Export & Investment Agency (AWEX), and Belgian technology incubator and support organisation, IGNITY, have announced a deepening of their partnership to grow secured digital connectivity in Africa. The support will fast-track ATOMNIA’s Africa-wide roll out of its pay-as-you-go OMNIA offering through its distribution and enablement partner, Smart Hands Africa.
The OMNIA solution has been designed to rapidly address the networking and security needs of African businesses, particularly small and medium organisations struggling with remote locations, unreliable internet and intermittent electricity.
Speaking at the signing ceremony held at the AfricaCom reception at the Belgian Consulate in Cape Town this week, the CEO and co-founder of ATOMNIA, Anthony Senter said: “Our partnerships with IGNITY and the Wallonia Export & Investment Agency, AWEX, have helped us with our international expansion, but have been especially beneficial in furthering our African aspirations. We are looking forward to growing our network of partners throughout the continent and making a meaningful contribution to business development in the region.”
Belgian trade with Africa continues to grow
The EU remains one of the most important foreign investors in South Africa. EU member states collectively account for 41% of total foreign direct investment into South Africa and more than 2 000 EU companies currently operate in the country, creating more than half a million direct and indirect jobs.
Belgium, meanwhile, is the fifth largest EU supplier to South Africa and the third largest EU client. In 2024, Belgian exports to South Africa amounted to EUR 1.5 billion, while imports from South Africa totalled EUR 2.9 billion.
“Digital transformation on the continent is booming. In May this year, we organised a trade mission focused on digital technologies and smart city solutions to support market access for companies from Wallonia and Brussels. Twelve companies took part, with all of them reporting very positive outcomes. We believe that South Africa, and Cape Town in particular, offer a dynamic tech ecosystem well suited for international collaboration” commented Catherine Bauwens, Wallonia Export & Investment Agency (AWEX) Trade and Investment Counsellor. “This week, we are pleased to support the launch of ATOMNIA into the African market, and we wish them every success in their development.”
Designed to address local business challenges
OMNIA is an all-in-one SASE cybersecurity and SD-WAN network solution providing multi-layered cybersecurity, connectivity and AI-driven threat detection.
OMNIA sets itself apart from existing offerings through its financing options combined with monthly software subscriptions.
Unpacking the African offering, CEO of Smart Hands Africa, Anton Jacobsz said: “OMNIA has been designed to solve the networking and cybersecurity challenges that so many African businesses face. These include high costs exacerbated by inflexible, long-term contracts from major global vendors. Our pay-as-you-go approach reduces upfront costs for small and medium businesses and simplifies adoption, no matter how remote they may be. This is how we build a connected, empowered, and tech-enabled Africa.”
The usual complexity of networking and cybersecurity solutions have also been addressed in the design and engineering of the OMNIA range.
“Unlike typical solutions where users might need to purchase separate firewalls, analysers, and SD-WAN components, this product range integrates them into a single package. It can best be described as a Smart SASE solution, designed to extend beyond the current industry norms. Our focus is on delivering both advanced security and flexible, reliable connectivity, especially suited to small and medium businesses with remote locations. This all-in-one approach and ability to use varied connection types, make the product more robust and versatile than just a conventional SD-WAN,” Senter explained.
Key differentiators of the OMNIA range that make it ideal for the market include:
● The device supports multiple connection types including fibre, LTE/5G, and satellite options, including Starlink
● It operates on a 12-volt battery backup, enabling connectivity in remote or power-unstable areas making it particularly suitable for remote retail shops and schools
● There are no long-term contracts or lock-ins, contrasting with current offerings which require multi-year agreements with maintenance fees
ATOMNIA has been working with IGNITY for five years as the company has scaled and the organisation will continue to assist in the company’s global expansion.
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.