Residents, including more than 4 500 pupils and 150 teachers, living in Dunoon near Milnerton in the Western Cape, will have access to free, uncapped internet from the roll-out of a special R1 million wi-fi project funded by Astron Energy.
Project Isizwe will also allow the rest of the community to be able to purchase wi-fi for as little as R5 per day per device.
A total of 20 R5 Isizwe wi-fi hot spots have been deployed at strategic points in Dunoon, a community located close to the Astron Energy refinery in Milnerton.
Project Isizwe said an additional 20 sites would be installed before the end of the year, including at two local schools.
The locations for the wo-fi sites have been identified in partnership with the local community to ensure ease and relevance of access.
The project was launched in Dunoon on Tuesday at an event attended by representatives from non-profit Project Isizwe, Astron Energy, as well as the local community.
Astron Energy is South Africa’s second largest petroleum network with over 850 Caltex-branded service stations in SA, as well as in Botswana.
The company operates the crude oil refinery in Milnerton which has a daily nameplate crude processing capacity of 100 000 barrels and produces petrol, diesel, jet fuel, liquefied gas and other specialty products.
The project also aims to grow local entrepreneurship as wi-fi hosts and users are empowered to sell R5 wi-fi products, earning 20% profit in a job-creation and economic empowerment drive.
According to Project Isizwe, an NPO that deploys wi-fi in rural and under-served areas, only 10% of homes in South Africa have wi-fi. This drops to as low as 1% in areas like Dunoon.
“South Africans who only have access to mobile data for internet access pay up to 100 times more for data than what this costs on wi-fi networks,” said Shireen Powell, Project Isizwe’s CEO.
“This only exacerbates the inequality found across our country and continent.”
Winny Dubazane, Astron Energy’s Social Investment Adviser, said Astron Energy found a perfect partner in Project Isizwe to provide equitable data and internet access to the community, while at the same time providing residents with the opportunity to participate in and take ownership of growing small business enterprises.
“We can now say that there is wi-fi connectivity within walking distance of 11 000 homes in Dunoon,” Dubazane added.
Schools and education are a major focus of the project. Dubazane said Astron Energy placed a major emphasis on education, particularly in communities such as Dunoon, close to where its key operations are located.
“But one cannot expect learners to excel when they do not have ready access to the internet,” she said.
“We also cannot expect communities such as Dunoon to grow, thrive and prosper if access to the internet for business, education and other purposes is limited or unaffordable.”
Dubazane said the project would also measure education outcomes, both from an academic performance perspective, as well as improved attendance at school.
“Learners will have free, uncapped internet access at school. We hope this will help address the drop-out rate which stands at 50% for matric pupils who entered the schooling system in Du Noon.”
Each wi-fi hot spot is brightly painted and also features Astron Energy’s striking new corporate brand colours.
Astron Energy recently began the rebranding of its more than 850 Caltex service stations across the country.
Donna Fata, Corporate Affairs Manager at the nearby Astron Energy Refinery, described the wi-fi project as a “no longer a luxury, but a basic necessity”.
“At Astron Energy, we recognise the importance of internet access in our lives – whether you’re a learner, job seeker or entrepreneur. For this reason, we are delighted to be working hand in hand with iSizwe on this project to bridge the digital divide,” she said.