South Africa’s third-largest mobile operator Cell C on Wednesday said its fight to gain market share and its “fight for the consumer” would continue.

As Cell C executive head of marketing Doug Mattheus outlined the telecommunication group’s next summer campaign, which would start on October 5, it emerged the company had gained momentum, growing its customer base from 9-million in 2012, to over 18-million this year.

Five-million new customers were added this year alone.

“We have done a lot this year,” he said during a media briefing at the Cell C head office in Woodmead. “It is impressive in a tough market.”

The group, which had taken on its larger “formidable competitors” head-on – and was winning, according to Cell C’s review of the past year – would continue its plans to strengthen its network and related efficiencies as market share climbed.

Over 1 500 new sites were established in two years – with Cell C having no intention of slowing down its roll-out – to meet the needs of all its customers as its base doubled.

Mattheus believed that, in addition to the campaign, low prices and product range, Cell C’s move to offer the data streams used for the WhatsApp instant messenger for free as of October 19 would draw more customers in the coming months.

“We are aware of the new dynamics of [the market],” he said, explaining that the market remained driven by ever-evolving technologies and changing trends.

The new “Epic Eric” four-month campaign would air for the first time on Sunday, followed by a strong Internet and social media element.

While Mattheus would not reveal the costs of the campaign, he noted that the television commercial took eight days to film and comprised 29 celebrities and two super cars, as well as 72 crew members and 824 extras to portray the perseverance of a young boy set on doing the right thing.

Sharks CEO John Smit, former cricketer Jacques Kallis, Miss South Africa Rolene Strauss, Cell C ambassador and former Generations actress Sophie Ndaba, professional surfer Roxy Louw and musician Jack Parow, besides others, feature in the commercial.

Cell C had donated R100 000 to the young boy Phindile Ralalara, who hails from Khayelitsha, to further his education.

The company also committed to continuing efforts to “transform lives” after giving away R2-million in its “Believe” campaign last year and committed to give away R5-million in prizes as it aimed to boost social participation in its latest campaign.

The online portal, which would be launched in November, also enabled customers to contribute to four identified charities – the Tomorrow Trust, the SPCA, the Stop Hunger Now campaign and South African Brewery’s Mark Boucher Legacy to Save the Rhino.

Strauss, Ndaba and Smit would lead these charities.