From vision to reality – how Project Isizwe created self-sustaining connectivity in rural South Africa

Over the last three years, we at 48percent.org have worked with Project Isizwe to see if their idea of a self-sustaining connectivity model would work in rural areas in South Africa. In 2021, they started building the Mpophomeni community network, with the goal that it would be self-sustaining within three years. Today, three years later, they have achieved their goal. But how? That is what we will learn in this blog.

Who are Project Isizwe?

Project Isizwe is a non-profit organization located in South Africa. Through their knowledge on local challenges in obtaining affordable internet connectivity, especially significant in South Africa’s rural areas, they are on a mission to provide affordable access to the internet sustained by the local community members. 

The internet access comes through building a community network. A community network is a local, community-led initiative to operate, maintain, and govern an internet network infrastructure. The network infrastructure can be used for digital communication, education, economic opportunities and much more. They are provided at little to no cost for the users. 

The sustainability model

In Mpophomeni, Project Isizwe got to try their sustainability model in practice, estimating that it would take three years for the coming community network to be self-sustaining. The plan was for community members to pay a maximum of 5 Rand per day (€0,25) for uncapped internet. At this price point it would be affordable for the community to pay for connectivity.

3 years ago, mid pandemic, Project Isizwe set out to implement this model, hoping to learn how it could become a self-sustained network, managed and kept going by the community itself. This required not only that the community could afford to pay for the internet, but it also required that they saw the value in paying for it. This proved more challenging than one would think. 

They started by deploying a network of 20 public Wifi hotspots. Project Isizwe worked hard to engage locals, with some individuals catching on to the vast opportunities the internet brings. Lihle, now an advocate for the importance of connectivity, saw the value of the internet early on, and was not only eager to learn, but also help Project Isizwe with their initiative. You can read her inspiring story here.

Involving the community

After the first months of engaging the community members, it proved challenging to get the internet up and running purely based on community-driven initiative, although some people saw the value of what Project Isizwe was doing. People seemed to lose interest after a little while, and Project Isizwe were dependent on enthusiastic people within the community to be not only eager, but also willing to experiment, encourage others, and take on an active role in the project. 

The initial results weren’t as expected. Not enough community members saw the benefit of it to buy it in order for the costs to be covered. Project Isizwe therefore had to find an alternative solution that would still benefit the people in the community, but that would also encourage them to contribute to the costs of keeping it running. 

Bringing connectivity to local schools

The solution was to connect the local schools. By creating a network from school to school, Project Isizwe opened up a whole new opportunity.

Project Isizwe added internet access points to six schools. Community members saw a greater value in giving their children access to expanded learning materials and online resources through the Internet. With the benefits being so clear, more people came together to pay for the internet. This way the local school children use the internet at school and incorporate it in their education.

This proved to be much more successful. Here the community really experienced the benefits the internet can bring and thus became much more inclined to purchase it.

Extending internet access to homes

The last part of the project involved extending the internet to peoples’ homes. 30 homes were connected to the internet, providing residents with essential online services and economic opportunities. This way, the children could not only continue their learning at home, it also provided an opportunity for the parents to learn more about the internet, its benefits and advantages. 

Today, three years after the conception of the community network, Project Isizwe, together with the local community members of the Mpophomeni community, have achieved their objective of creating a self-sustaining community network, maintained by the community. The revenue generated now covers the cost of the internet, local sales commissions, and support. The goal is that it will soon be able to sustain maintenance of the physical equipment. 

Impact through accessible connectivity

Project Isizwe’s impact on the Mpophomeni community has been profound. The availability of affordable internet has improved the quality of education for children, facilitated access to essential online services, and opened new economic opportunities for many people, examples being online businesses, and wider access to employment opportunities. 

The self-sustaining model, where residents pay a minimal fee for uncapped daily internet access has ensured that the community is not dependent on external funding to keep the internet up and running, ensuring long-term sustainability. 

A model for the future

While the initial idea didn’t quite work out, adaptation and patience, and also listening to the needs of the community made this project a great success. Building on the success of the Mpophomeni community network, Project Isizwe is continuing to explore possibilities in building self-sustaining community networks. They are currently implementing the same model in an even more rural area, around Loskop Mountain in South Africa. We’d highly recommend checking out the project here. 

Curious to know more about Project Isizwe? Check out their website. Or reach out to us on our socials if you have a similar project you’d like to get off the ground! X, LinkedIn, Facebook