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Beyond free WiFi

Tyson Ngubeni
By Tyson Ngubeni
Johannesburg, 01 Aug 2014
The online portal focuses on content pillars including jobs, education, e-government and news.
The online portal focuses on content pillars including jobs, education, e-government and news.

Project Isizwe - the non-profit organisation (NPO) behind numerous free WiFi initiatives around SA - is looking beyond being a conduit for connectivity and has turned its attention towards granting unlimited access to education, employment opportunity and government content.

The NPO and the City of Tshwane launched the second phase of free WiFi hubs this week, connecting an additional 213 sites, and also included its online portal Tobetsa. The platform emerged as part of a partnership between the NPO, ICT education companies Siyavula and Fundza Mobile Reading, online classifieds platform Gumtree as well as the city's e-government platforms.

Tim Human, content and communications manager at Project Isizwe, says Tobetsa was developed "in order to curate the useful parts of the Internet". "We want to equip users with knowledge of how to apply for jobs, write CVs and interview well," he says.

"Gumtree SA ticked all these boxes with their comprehensive job search portal and resources for helping South Africans find jobs, so they are a great partner for us".

While users have a daily data cap of 250 MB for general browsing, Project Isizwe notes that unlimited access to Tobetsa is part of its aim of exploring possibilities granted by the Internet, including driving Tshwane's ICT strategy for residents.

"E-Tshwane helps all citizens interact with their city online, and Tshwane residents can also pay submit their tax returns and see public transport routes and times online," the NPO says.

Great potential

ICT veteran Adrian Schofield says people are highly likely to take advantage of learning opportunities that are interesting and affordable, although providing access must have other support mechanisms to be sustainable. "Teachers and parents must be aware of the material available and must use it actively in delivering curriculum by other means - in the classroom and during homework assignments, for example.

"Similarly, the job portal must track the number of applications and the success rate achieved in placing people in jobs, so that improvements can be made in how CVs and vacancies are collected and matched," he adds.

Another challenge, notes Schofield, would be for the platform or applications to be accessible for SA's diverse range of mobile devices. "The City should perhaps work with retail outlets to assist users to obtain appropriate devices - there's no incentive for them to stock too many WiFi-only devices, they get better commissions from the telcos".

Looking ahead

Human notes that Project Isizwe will seek further collaboration with government across SA, considering that its solution can be customised for any region. "Western Cape will get a slightly different version of [the online portal] to Tshwane," he says.

In its vision for the years leading up to 2055, the City of Tshwane has outlined plans to create a smart city, enhancing connectivity in order to gradually shift towards greater reliance on e-governance. Free WiFi rollout forms part of the city's ICT strategy aimed at creating a participatory citizenry. "We are happy to include government initiatives and sites, as long as they fit within our scope and standard and are of real use to the users," says Human.

He says the portal has scope for growth to include content such as news, business education, online gaming, and Community television. "It's just a matter of getting the best content that's available and making sure it works within our portal and for our users".

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