South African tycoon Jens Montanana set for $11 million Datatec dividend

South African tycoon Jens Montanana, the founder of Datatec, is set for $11 million payday after the Johannesburg-based multinational technology group declared a total dividend of R947.3 million ($56.9 million) in 2026, as it celebrates one of the strongest years in its history, underpinned by excellent execution, financial performance, and operating leverage. 

Datatec raises dividend
Datatec, headquartered in South Africa, specializes in providing information and communication technology (ICT) solutions, including Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) and Software as a Service (SaaS). Over the years, it has grown into an international information and communications technology (ICT) group.

Based in Sandown, Johannesburg, South Africa, the multinational technology group announced a dividend of R947.3 million ($56.9 million) for the year ended Feb. 28, 2026, a 54.8% increase over the prior year.

The R947.3 million ($56.9 million) dividend, set at R4 ($0.24) per share, highlights the JSE-listed firm’s drive to capitalise on AI adoption to fuel demand for infrastructure, deep technical expertise, and services.

The dividend will come from the group’s distributable reserves, which jumped 10.4% to $443.73 million as of Feb. 28, 2026. Underlying earnings per share rose by 35% to $0.482, while headline earnings per share jumped 56.5% to $0.399, highlighting improved earnings quality. Shareholders are set to receive $0.24 per share by July 20 2026. 

Jens Montanana, who founded Datatec in 1986, holds a 19.01% stake in the company, amounting to 44,937,489 ordinary shares. His holding will earn him R179.75 million ($11 million), up from less than $6 million that he received from last year’s dividend.

Datatec earnings surge on strong ICT demand

The dividend announcement follows the recent release of Datatec’s 2026 financial report. In its report for the 12 months ended February 28 2026, total revenue rose 3.3% year-on-year from $3.55 billion to $3.67 billion, delivering a positive performance across its core divisions. 

Gross invoiced income rose 9.3% from $7.73 billion to $8.46 billion, while Profit for the year increased by 56.9% from $69.3 million to $108.7 million, reflecting improved margins and a growing contribution from higher-value software and services.

Regionally, Westcon International led performance with gross income rising to $5.74 billion, while Logicalis International posted strong growth with revenue reaching $1.25 billion and improved margins. Logicalis Latin America recorded a modest recovery, with gross profit increasing to $105 million. In March 2026, the Group, through its wholly-owned subsidiary, Logicalis Connected GmbH, acquired 100% of the shareholding of NetworkedAssets GmbH for a total consideration of $4.8 million. The consideration includes an earn-out liability of $2.7 million, payable over two years.

Datatec’s assets climb to $4.65 billion

Datatec’s performance was underpinned by sustained demand for cybersecurity, network upgrades, and AI-driven infrastructure, with software and services now accounting for approximately 71% of gross income.

With a strong balance sheet, Datatec’s strong performance drove a 16.91% increase in total assets to $4.65 billion from $3.97 billion, while distributable reserves jumped 10.4% from $401.95 million to $443.73 million as of Feb. 28, 2026.

The recently announced R947.3 million ($56.9 million) dividend highlights the trust shareholders have in its long-term plan to improve transportation management through data and technology.