Internet access remains largely unavailable in remote and underserved areas, despite “noble” projects like SA Connect being at the forefront of broadband connectivity ambitions.
Much has been said about SA’s broadband ambitions over the years, with some in executive authority leadership roles promising universal connectivity.
Despite the pronouncements, coupled with some long-term efforts to bring coverage to underserved rural and remote areas, the gaps remain.
Minister Solly Malatsi, whose Department of Communications and Digital Technologies is tasked with developing policy for digital inclusion in the country, acknowledges that large portions of rural areas − much like the one he hails from − remain without stable, reliable connectivity.
Malatsi recently joined ITWeb TV to discuss his first 15 months in office, challenges faced by the entities that fall within the scope of his department, policy alignmentand strategic partnerships with industry players to resolve key issues.
He said the current landscape calls for identifying the most pragmatic opportunities to get people connected and addressing the cost to communicate, particularly in terms of the pricing of data, the pricing of smart devices and the ease of connectivity for every South African regardless of where they are based.
“When you then start reviewing the performance of SA Connect, which was a very noble intervention by the South African government, the scale of performance shows there’s been an unfulfilled promise of a noble idea simply because the project management element of it hasn’t been as efficient as it should be.
“It’s one of the things that we are looking at currently across our different entities USAASA [Universal Service and Access Agency of South Africa], Sentech and BBI [Broadband Infraco], who are all responsible in executing SA Connect, to make sure we don’t find ourselves in the situation that we’re currently in, wherein there’s unspent money yet there are communities that are not connected.
“It is an assault on humanity to have communities without broadband connectivity, yet monies allocated to that haven’t been spent as they should be due to a series of issues relating to accounting compliance.”
The minister did not provide the specifics of the budgeted amount that has not been spent, but insisted his department is in discussions with National Treasury, to determine if the unspent funds can be rolled over.
“It’s in the hundreds of millions. The entities, in their engagement with the department, have said that services were rendered but because of accounting purposes and the back-and-forth collection of invoices, transfers to service providers hadn’t taken place.
“Treasury has a particular framework it uses in terms of looking at how money is spent. It allocates a certain portion of money for the financial year, and if at the end of the financial year that money is still in your pockets, it’s considered as unspent money.”
Mobile dominates
The 2025 State of the ICT Sector Report of South Africa, which was compiled by the Independent Communications Authority of SA, reveals “significant disparities” across South African provinces, particularly in mobile and fixed connectivity.
On a national scale, mobile access remains the predominant means of internet access among South Africans, with that figure recorded at 72.6%. When examining fixed internet access at home, the national average sits at 14.5%.
The Western Cape is a leader in fixed internet access, boasting a rate of 40.1%. The figure, according to the report, suggests a well-established broadband infrastructure in the province.
In contrast, Mpumalanga shows 3.1% for fixed internet access at home, emphasising the gap between provinces and the need for improved connectivity solutions across the country, states the report.
The SA Connect project has long been touted as the initiative to address access to broadband services, despite struggling to gain momentum since it was announced in 2013.
The national broadband project aims to ensure universal access to broadband services for all South Africans, prioritising rural and underserviced areas. Due to the magnitude of the project, government determined that the project should be implemented in two stages, with the first phase focused on connecting schools, health facilities, government offices, Thusong Service Centres and post offices, in eight rural district municipalities.
Asked if he is confident SA Connect can facilitate access to broadband connectivity, Malatsi said he “definitely believes so”.
“The essence of it is connecting public facilities, connecting rural communities and connecting traditional authorities and we know, as people who come from these environments, that those are the hub areas for such communities.
“So, there’s no doubt about the intention of the project – we’ve got to expand broadband connectivity to every corner of the country. The times we live in mean you also must think about other solutions, which is why the conversation about low Earth orbit [satellites] will also enter the fray.
“You can’t have a similar approach to expanding broadband connectivity when every piece of evidence elsewhere in the world shows that to get optimum broadband connectivity, you must look at the bouquet of interventions that are available.”
To view the full ITWeb TV interview, click here.
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