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rain and Valid Celebrate Successful Collaboration Behind South Africa’s Next Generation of 5G Connected Devices
15 September 2026
2 min read

Madrid, Spain – September 15, 2026

Valid, a global provider of trusted connectivity solutions, and rain, one of South Africa’s leading telecommunications providers, are celebrating the successful collaboration behind the expansion of rain’s innovative 5G connected device portfolio, including the newly launched LoopPhone™, the pioneering loop™ customer premises equipment (CPE), and the101™ 5G smart router range, all developed by LoopDL, rain’s product and design partner.

The partnership reflects a shared commitment to delivering innovative, customer-centric connectivity experiences that combine high-performance 5G broadband with flexible digital services for consumers, homes and businesses. Working closely together throughout the project, Valid has supported rain with secure eSIM technology, remote SIM provisioning and technical integration, helping accelerate the delivery of its next generation of connected devices.

As rain continues expanding its 4G and 5G services, the collaboration provides a scalable foundation for connected devices through advanced eSIM and remote SIM provisioning capabilities. These technologies simplify device activation, profile management and lifecycle operations while enabling rain to efficiently support an expanding portfolio of connected products and services.

The launch of LoopPhone represents the latest milestone in rain’s strategy to redefine connected experiences through innovative, digital-first products. It builds on the earlier introduction of the loop, the first 5G connected speaker that combines integrated Android functionality with a built-in battery, enabling customers to enjoy high-speed connectivity wherever they are. Complementing the loop portfolio, the101™ 5G smart router range delivers high-performance 5G broadband solutions for homes and businesses, supporting the growing demand for next-generation CPE, gateway platforms and connected services.

“The continued evolution of our connected-device portfolio reflects rain’s commitment to making high-speed connectivity more accessible, flexible and customer-centric,” said Conrad Leigh, CEO of rain. “Working with Valid has enabled us to bring innovative products to market with the secure connectivity foundation needed to deliver a seamless customer experience while supporting the continued evolution of our digital services.”

“Successful innovation is built on strong partnerships,” said Jose Manuel Castro, SVP IoT & OEM at Valid. “Our collaboration with rain demonstrates how operators and technology providers can work together to accelerate the deployment of next-generation connected devices. By combining advanced eSIM technology with secure remote SIM provisioning capabilities, we’re helping create flexible, scalable connectivity experiences that support both today’s consumer services and tomorrow’s connected ecosystems.”

The collaboration highlights both companies’ commitment to innovation, operational excellence and scalable connectivity, reinforcing their shared vision of enabling the next generation of secure, flexible and connected digital experiences.

About rain

rain is a South African technology and telecommunications company building connected experiences powered by one of the world’s most advanced 5G networks.

Founded in 2016 as an ambitious startup with a belief that connectivity could be done differently, rain launched South Africa’s first data-only network and was the first operator in Africa to launch commercial Standalone 5G. Today, rain has grown into one of South Africa’s largest mobile network operators, connecting millions of South Africans through its nationwide 4G & 5G network.

Built for data from day one, rain continues to redefine connectivity through technology, innovation and design — creating experiences that are simpler, smarter and built for the AI era.

For more information, visit rain.co.za.

About Valid

Valid is your trusted partner for interoperable mobile and IoT connectivity services worldwide. We excel in offering solutions for identity, mobile, and payment ecosystems, driving digital transformation in people’s lives by supporting various journeys, including authentications, monetization, and transactions, in both public and private sectors.

With nearly seven decades of expertise in the market, we deliver complex solutions involving high volume and sensitive data. The company integrates the best available technologies to drive innovation and provide secure, efficient solutions to its clients. Currently, Valid has more than 3,000 employees across 15 countries dedicated to creating a more fluid, connected, reliable, and safe world. To learn more, visit us at trustedconnectivity.valid.com.

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Environmental compensation

In order to make a significant difference and bring a real benefit to our environment and planet, Valid decided to create, together with Plastic Bank, an environmental compensation program.

Plastic Bank is a social enterprise empowering a regenerative society. They build ethical recycling ecosystems in coastal communities and reprocess the materials for reintroduction into the global supply chain as Social PlasticTM.

Their collectors receive a compensation for the materials they collect which helps them to provide basic family necessities such as groceries, cooking fuel, school tuition, and health insurance.

Their certified blockchain platform secures the entire transaction and provides real-time data visualization – allowing for transparency, traceability, and rapid scalability.

Compensation Program

With this goal, Plastic Bank is relying on companies like Valid to support the collection process of the plastic in order to:

Mitigate the impact of many corporations and potentially reduce, offset or decrease the plastic footprint of their operations.

Improve the social and economic situations in different regions of the world by creating job opportunities through plastic waste collection.

Supports environmental stewardship and circular economy.

For every SIM card that our customers sell to their consumers under this program, Valid will collect one plastic bottle from the environment.