EUP1501
Assignment 01
Student Number: 60549300
Discussion: Understanding Development: Bridging the Digital Divide
I. DIGITAL DIVIDE
Defining Digital Divide:
It refers to a gap between people who have internet or computer access and people who do not have
access to it.
The ways to narrow Digital Divide in South Africa
The Digital Divide factors (gaps) in my country (South Africa)
Poverty
Poor infrastructure
Illiteracy
Gender and Social Inequality
Health
1. Poverty
South Africa is a developing country, it is potentially let down by numerous factors on its progression
to grow within the Digital Divide. Poverty is a one of the core factors that play a role in the Digital
Divide in South Africa.
In a world where the rich get richer and the poor get poorer, Dondiego [sa] states that the developing
countries certainly are not able to acquire sufficient funding to purchase the telecommunication
infrastructure and equipment. President Cyril Ramaphosa gave a State of The Nation Address (2020)
where he said “The competition authorities are now working towards a resolution with the large
mobile operators to secure deep cuts to data prices across prepaid monthly bundles additional
, discounts targeted at lower income households, a free daily allocation of data and free access to
educational and other public interest websites”.
To increase affordability of what is now a necessity; financial assistance should be given to lower
income earning people to afford new technology, data and electricity. Tariff subsidies can be given by
government to encourage people to purchase digital tools.
This bags the question that if such is given to low income/poor households with no access to smart
devices and the knowledge to utilize them, how will that benefits that rural/poor household?
2. Poor Infrastructure
There are several people who enjoy the luxury of the digital economy of which represents how
unequally ICT has been distributed. Mabena (2019) penned the words of CEO of Project Isizwe,
Dudu Mkhwanazi that “the country’s 7.5 million lower-income earners are paying 80 times more for
the internet access than their rich counterparts, only 10% of South African homes have fixed
affordable income”.
According to Lourie (2017) the clearest divide is revealed in income disparity and among adult South
African’s earning more than R30 000 a month, internet penetration is at 82.4% on par with overall
penetration in many industrialized countries.
Contextually, the viable and productive way of digital divide is to utilize the fibre infrastructure of
which would be vital in South Africa. Broadband internet is very fast, quick and efficient even
though it has challenges in rural areas making uneconomic to establish in such areas reason being the
costs of the systems and technologies. To have such connections in the areas, technologies like
satellites, earth orbiting balloons and drones should be established
One of the other contributing factors is illiteracy of which it is the biggest divide in Africa more
especially in South African disadvantaged communities.
Assignment 01
Student Number: 60549300
Discussion: Understanding Development: Bridging the Digital Divide
I. DIGITAL DIVIDE
Defining Digital Divide:
It refers to a gap between people who have internet or computer access and people who do not have
access to it.
The ways to narrow Digital Divide in South Africa
The Digital Divide factors (gaps) in my country (South Africa)
Poverty
Poor infrastructure
Illiteracy
Gender and Social Inequality
Health
1. Poverty
South Africa is a developing country, it is potentially let down by numerous factors on its progression
to grow within the Digital Divide. Poverty is a one of the core factors that play a role in the Digital
Divide in South Africa.
In a world where the rich get richer and the poor get poorer, Dondiego [sa] states that the developing
countries certainly are not able to acquire sufficient funding to purchase the telecommunication
infrastructure and equipment. President Cyril Ramaphosa gave a State of The Nation Address (2020)
where he said “The competition authorities are now working towards a resolution with the large
mobile operators to secure deep cuts to data prices across prepaid monthly bundles additional
, discounts targeted at lower income households, a free daily allocation of data and free access to
educational and other public interest websites”.
To increase affordability of what is now a necessity; financial assistance should be given to lower
income earning people to afford new technology, data and electricity. Tariff subsidies can be given by
government to encourage people to purchase digital tools.
This bags the question that if such is given to low income/poor households with no access to smart
devices and the knowledge to utilize them, how will that benefits that rural/poor household?
2. Poor Infrastructure
There are several people who enjoy the luxury of the digital economy of which represents how
unequally ICT has been distributed. Mabena (2019) penned the words of CEO of Project Isizwe,
Dudu Mkhwanazi that “the country’s 7.5 million lower-income earners are paying 80 times more for
the internet access than their rich counterparts, only 10% of South African homes have fixed
affordable income”.
According to Lourie (2017) the clearest divide is revealed in income disparity and among adult South
African’s earning more than R30 000 a month, internet penetration is at 82.4% on par with overall
penetration in many industrialized countries.
Contextually, the viable and productive way of digital divide is to utilize the fibre infrastructure of
which would be vital in South Africa. Broadband internet is very fast, quick and efficient even
though it has challenges in rural areas making uneconomic to establish in such areas reason being the
costs of the systems and technologies. To have such connections in the areas, technologies like
satellites, earth orbiting balloons and drones should be established
One of the other contributing factors is illiteracy of which it is the biggest divide in Africa more
especially in South African disadvantaged communities.
