Despite South Africa's anticipated significant expansion of fibre and high-speed fixed access connectivity services over the next four to five years, millions of households remain unserved. According to Africa Analysis, the fixed broadband market is expected to include more than nine million homes by 2030. However, the country's digital divide persists, with many people lacking meaningful connectivity.
The ICASA State of the ICT Sector Report reveals that only 14.5% of homes have fixed internet access, with disparities across provinces. The Western Cape has 40.1% fixed internet access, while Mpumalanga has only 3.1%. Conventional fibre rollouts focus on advantaged areas, neglecting lower-income communities. Affordability and access are primary reasons for this expansion's inhibition, as fibre needs to be affordable for customers with irregular income patterns.
Flexible pricing is crucial to bringing people into networks and expanding their potential as entrepreneurs, students, and employees. Meaningful connectivity is essential for homes to use the internet for businesses, work, and education. Intermittent access or mobile-only access significantly affects homes, and connecting people in previously disadvantaged communities is an education issue. People need to understand the infrastructure's benefits and how to use it to their advantage.
Companies that spend time in communities before investing in fibre infrastructure are less likely to stall. Establishing trust and providing insights is key to successfully including communities. A landlord in Southfield, Cape Town, exemplifies this approach. He was taught how a router works and built a business model around it, dividing his monthly subscription fee among his tenants and adding it to their rent.
The landlord's approach allowed every person on his property to access fibre at a fraction of the price of a full line. Fibre penetrates metal shacks without interference, providing immediate change for residents. This approach turns new subscribers into advocates, delivering better customer retention across a base that will always be there monthly at an affordable price.
Shared connections and flexible access forms can maximise connections within existing coverage areas. Operators need to change their perspectives to prioritise education and flexible access. The value of fibre is no longer defined by speed but by the lived value it delivers to people in areas that need connectivity to thrive but face ongoing financial stability challenges.
When ingenuity and flexibility combine, it is possible to change the story behind South Africa's connectivity challenge and potentially connect millions of people who still go without it. According to Sandile Mkhwanazi, Head of Community Relations at Frogfoot RISE, this approach can produce retention, organic growth, and community relationships.
Key points
- Fibre operators can reach underserved communities through flexible pricing and shared connections.
- Education and community engagement are crucial for successful fibre rollout in previously disadvantaged areas.
- Redefining fibre success from speed to lived value can help address South Africa's connectivity challenge.
