Episode 3: Talking connectivity and access in SA

Talking Tech for Good powered by the Bertha Centre for Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship.

In South Africa where data is amongst the most expensive in the world - how viable is it to use digital solutions in the development space when most often this is a barrier that beneficiaries will need to overcome? Why is data so expensive in South Africa? What is happening in this space and how are things like zero-rated sites helping to improve accessibility in the country?
In this third episode podcast hosts, Luvuyo Maseko and Jason Bygate delve into some of the complexities surrounding connectivity and access in South Africa. They are joined by Pieter Holloway who runs a skills centre in the rural town of McGregor in the Western Cape. Pieter shares some of the greatest challenges youth in communities like McGregor face in terms of access and connectivity. How do we make sure that we don’t leave these young people behind? How do we challenge service providers to make data more affordable and how do we support young people in making the most of the opportunities found online once they have access.
Jason and Luvuyo also spend some time answering questions from listeners and organisations on the topic of connectivity and access. If you have any questions or topics you would like us to address in upcoming episodes, we’d love to hear from you. You are welcome to send your questions via WhatsApp voice note to our production partners at The Stellar Effect on 081 709 4049. Don’t forget to check out the Talking Tech for Good resource centre for more helpful tools and resources.
The links you need to know about:
Talking Tech for Good resource centre - http://techtalk.org.za/
Capacitate - capacitate.co.za
BC website - https://www.gsb.uct.ac.za/berthacentre
https://www.timeslive.co.za/news/south-africa/2019-12-03-south-africans-pay-more-for-data-and-operators-can-change-that-competition-commission/ www.gsb.uct.ac.za · Timeslive article · Transcript — PDF (126.5 KB)