In a significant stride towards a more interconnected future, South Africa has made remarkable progress in narrowing the digital gap among its households, as revealed by the latest Census 2022 data.

The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) supports the government’s efforts by conducting extensive research and development in affordable information technologies aimed at serving unserved and underserved rural township communities in South Africa through collaborative efforts.

On Friday, 15 March 2024, AdNotes, in collaboration with the CSIR and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in South Africa, unveiled the second phase of the rural Television White Space (TVWS) Operator Support programme.

The commissioning ceremony took place at the Harry Gwala Development Agency (HGDA) in iXopo within the Harry Gwala municipality district, where the network TVWS tower is built.

iXopo is reported to be the least connected rural areas in KwaZulu-Natal, with a pronounced digital divide characterised by limited internet access and digital literacy.

During the ceremony, Dr Lulama Wakaba from the CSIR NextGen Enterprises and Institutions cluster said, “As an organisation, the CSIR is dedicated to making a significant impact on the economy and society. To achieve these goals, we are committed to developing our people and fostering collaborative skills necessary to fulfil our mandate.”

About the Rural TVWS Operator Support Programme

In August 2022, the CSIR and UNDP signed a letter of understanding (LoU) for supporting Small Medium and Micro Enterprises (SMMEs) to bridge the digital divide, marking the commencement of phase two of the Rural TVWS Operator Support Programme in South Africa.

This programme was designed to enhance access to affordable broadband internet connectivity through public hotspots, provide broadband internet connectivity to public facilities, diminish the digital divide, improve digital literacy and create job opportunities by supporting SMMEs. Since then, the initiative has been implemented in 8 provinces, connecting communities and creating jobs.

Leveraging on partnerships, the initiative has secured the support of other key role players, SEACOM as the IP transit partner and the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCDO) as a strategic partner, who continue to contribute to the impact of the project and expand the digital connectivity.

The FCDO has funded accelerated technical support, monitoring and evaluation provided by the CSIR to the same beneficiary rural TVWS network operators (SMMEs) participating in the UNDP-supported programme.

“This three-way partnership between the CSIR, UNDP and FCDO aligns well with the CSIR’s values of being an EPIC organisation that pursues excellence, celebrates people, personifies integrity and welcomes collaboration,” said Dr Wakaba.

The CSIR aims to continue its involvement in the broader TVWS ecosystem through further collaborative efforts, seeking to perpetuate efforts to bridge the digital divide in rural areas of South Africa and the continent.
 

Benefits of improved digital access

Improved digital access has numerous benefits, including facilitating remote learning and skills development in rural areas.

During his keynote address, Gabriel Dava, the Deputy Resident Representative at UNDP, exclaimed, “We are here to celebrate the significant milestone achieved by Nathi Mbele. Let us not only measure the impact of this programme by the number of households connected to the AdNotes network, but rather measure how the digital access transforms the livelihoods of the people in this community.”

By providing affordable wireless connectivity, AdNotes has enabled the community of iXopo with access to a wealth of knowledge and opportunities.

Unemployed youth now have daily access to the Moses Kotane Institutes’ computer laboratory, where they receive basic computer training such as collating a curriculum vitae for job applications, skills development in other online courses like Adobe Photoshop and opportunities for conducting research.

Byteflow, a call centre company located in the Harry Gwala Tech-hub, has connected to the AdNotes network, employing 50 young people under the age of 35 from iXopo.

Lastly, learners from Sinevuso High School benefit from unlimited network access provided by AdNotes. This enables them to conduct research for assignments and view laboratory lessons, as they don’t have a laboratory or library.

Educators can now send and receive information from the Department of Education and meet submission deadlines, thereby improving the efficiency of school operations.

A future of possibilities

The CSIR is currently implementing a collaborative project with Kagiso Trust, a not-for-profit organisation, to deploy a TVWS-based broadband network. This initiative aims to connect 26 rural schools and hotspots in seven communities in the Sekhukhune District Municipality in Limpopo.

Additionally, the CSIR is partnering with the University of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania to provide technical expertise to the Ministry of Information, Communication and Information Technology. This collaboration aims to develop regulations for utilising TVWS technology to provide broadband services in rural areas of Tanzania.

The ongoing expansion of this rural TVWS operator network support programme continues to improve the lives of South Africans, ensuring that no one is left behind.