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What a crying shame …

Now that the corona virus has pushed us into the deep end of the 4th Industrial Revolution it is obvious that we have just been splashing around in the shallow waters for years now.

Some of us are having an interesting and challenging time trialling different tech platforms to do everything we do in an office setting from our homes.

It is pretty amazing what you can do, from ‘dropping into’ a virtual party and having drinks ‘with’ friends who are in Spain, to running a business, big or small. Everything seems possible if you have a mobile phone, tablet or computer and connectivity. In other words, super easy for some of us, impossible for most of our countrymen.

What a terrible tragedy that the Cape Digital Foundation’s project to roll out free wifi in the townships ran out of funding. What a disgrace, actually.

As I feel the (comparatively teeny tiny) middle class frustrations of lockdown (I can’t walk my dogs, or pop out for a drink with friends) I am reminded often by social media that a) I am not alone, and b) that some people who live not very far from me are having a properly shite time in lockdown in very squashed quarters and locked out of this amazing age of connectivity.

The article below is from early November 2019, when we had no idea that Covid-19 was going to arrive and trap us all in our homes for at least three weeks

Smart townships: The key to a thriving South African economy … put on hold

A ground-breaking South African project to position South Africa’s townships as the Smart Megacities of the Global South is on hold while new funding is sought. It makes me want to weep …

Emma Kaye talks about Africa and the 4th Industrial Revolution at Daily Maverick’s The Gathering in March 2020. Watch short video here

Under the leadership of Emma Kaye, the Cape Digital Foundation’s project, which started as a local government initiative to increase the uptake of digital technology in townships of the Western Cape, grew into a project to position and enable townships as smart cities.

The foundation was constituted in 2015 by the Western Cape’s Department of Economic Development and Tourism and Neotel (now Liquid Telecom) tasked with firing up the uptake of digital technology in the Western Cape.

The idea was that the province’s residents could be equipped with the tools and resources to survive and thrive in the highly competitive and rapidly digitising world, particularly in the face of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR).

Emma was appointed Executive Director of CDF in April 2017. She was an obvious fit for the challenge, thanks to previous success building businesses that deliver proven social impact.

Informed by her involvement in the global conversation around how Megacities in the Global North (defined as fast-growing cities with a population of 10 million-plus) must become Smart Cities for their citizens to be a part of the 4IR, Emma recognised that it was critical that a different narrative be adopted for the Global South.

She argued that Megacities in the more sparsely populated Global South should not be defined by northern parameters (cities with more than 10 million citizens), but rather should somehow be measured in a way that reflects the fastest growing communities, the townships.

“It stands to reason that if we redefine our townships as ‘Megacities in the Global South’
we need to enable them as Smart Townships,” says Emma.
“The vast majority of South Africa’s population
live in townships and the fact is that if we do not enable and scale Smart Townships
the large majority of the population will be left out of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.”

The crux of Smart Township thinking is that technology can no longer be seen as a vertical business sector, but rather as a practical, horizontal necessity across all spheres of business and society. To have any real economic, social and cultural value and impact on communities, technology must be universally, easily accessible.

The foundation created the first database of local businesses in the community. Business listings include descriptions and a Google location pin, a game-changer in a setting where street addresses are rare

At the start of 2018, the CDF set about building a digital ecosystem at a ‘whole community’ level. Imizamo Yethu (IY), a township in Hout Bay, was selected for its Smart Township proof of concept initiative.

IY, where an estimated 140,00 people live on just 18 hectares of land, has well-delineated boundaries, which makes accurate data collection and reporting possible. (www.sahistory.org).

CDF identified five fundamental pillars as essential to the development of Smart Townships:

  • Digital infrastructure
  • Affordable connectivity
  • Digital skills
  • Local content
  • Data collection

The Foundation partnered with TooMuchWifi to ensure reliable digital infrastructure and affordable connectivity.

TooMuchWifi rolled out more than 119 Wifi Access Points into the small community of Imizamo Yethu

The rollout of wifi into IY was citizen-led. TooMuchWifi ensured that the community were involved at every step and that money flowed back into the community.

During the course of the project, TooMuchWifi rolled out more than 119 Access Points into the small community of IY (in comparison to provincial public Wifi of 178 Access Points throughout the Western Cape). In addition, a total of R17.5million was retained within the community, rather than being ‘lost’ in the form of higher data fees to mobile networks.  

The Foundation partnered with the University of the Western Cape for digital skills training within Imizamo Yethu with a focus on small and medium-sized enterprises and women.

By the people, for the people: Photographer
Owen Xubuzane. Photo by Anton Cronje

In terms of local content, CDF launched a hyper-local news portal, IYtv, in October 2018. The portal, was free to IY residents who bought (reasonably priced) data from TooMuchWifi. By February 2019, IYtv had a staff of five local people and its own studio. These citizen journalists uploaded local stories daily. These stories were told by the community, for the community.

The IYtv portal included an educational section, where community members could access study materials for subjects such as maths and science as well as animated content for younger children.

To realise the final pillar for success, data collection, IYtv built the first database of local businesses in the community. Business listings included descriptions, contact info and a Google location pin, a game-changer in this setting where there are few street names, much less house/business/building numbers.

By the end of 2018, CDF’s Smart Township concept was a resounding success and the foundation stood poised to replicate the initiative across the Western Cape. Sadly, at this critical moment on the journey to unlocking the potential of a digitally connected society among citizens in the Western Cape, CDF was forced to close its doors.

It is clear, and not just to those who observed CDF’s success, that Smart Townships are South Africa’s vibrant economic hubs of the future. To maximise the benefits of the 4ID, it is critical that the work of CDF on the development of Smart Townships be continued.

By providing affordable connectivity and digital skills to township entrepreneurs and small business owners, Emma Kaye and CDF started to lay the ground for the next wave of digital disruption to come from within the informal market in South Africa.

Emma, South Africa’s leading expert in Smart Cities/Townships, will continue to use her vision and experience to link communities with technology and opportunities that maximises social change. She is currently looking for partners to supercharge the next chapter of social development.

Please consider completing a short survey aimed at collecting data and insights about South African consumers and their feelings about Covid-19 and responses to the pandemic. The SACovid-19 Survey is an ongoing survey which will be run until the threat has passed. All data will be available to participants. It will take you no more than 5 minutes, and in response you will be sent a report of the findings for you to share and discuss with your friends and colleagues. Take the survey here  

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Gavin Loch
Gavin Loch
2nd April 2020 2:28 pm

Thanks so much for this article which was extremely informative and positive. Prior to it I had no notion of this initiative and how valuable it could be for a stable and equitable South Africa for all citizens, should it be followed through to conclusion and it should, without question. I realized too that, at this time of virus crisis we are all inextricably bound to one another and by being more aware of one anothers’ real lives and plights, we can surely move forward more united and focused to do the right thing which can ensure the security and well being of all peoples. It requires knowledge and hope, in urban renewal as suggested by Emma kaye and her team, to foster a brighter future for all in the most south of Africa. It can be done !

Emma Kaye
Emma Kaye
3rd April 2020 1:11 pm
Reply to  Gavin Loch

Hi Gavin,
Thanks so much for your comment, it is great to get your feedback. Let’s hope that we can foster a brighter future! It can be done and the more support we get from people like you the easier it all becomes.
Emma

Ndumiso
Ndumiso
3rd April 2020 6:26 am

Hello this is a great initiative in an unequal society like ours, especial in villages and townships.Yes indeed, our townships and villages are getting left behind.Something needs to be done.My dream is to see my village in Estcourt Mawuza, connected one day something that could change future prospects of the youth in that community.I would like to talk with Emma Kaye.She is brilliant this, my contact 0833257355

Emma Kaye
Emma Kaye
3rd April 2020 12:59 pm
Reply to  Ndumiso

Hi Ndumiso,
Thanks so much for your reply. [The editor] has asked me to reply and I am delighted to do so. Yes, I agree it is necessary to get all communities connected. One day at a time. I will send you my number and we can chat via WhatsApp. I look forward to it.
Emma

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