You get free data, you get free data… everyone gets free data!
Johannesburg, South Africa (15 March 2022) – Yes, the Oprah Winfrey meme is funny – it always makes us laugh – but the news that all South African households are going to get access to free data is something to really celebrate.
The statement was recently made in the government’s national infrastructure plan 2050, published by Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Patricia De Lille.
The Minister says that improving the country’s digital communications infrastructure is a priority for both the NDP and NIP 2050.
“Communications are the lifeblood of a market economy, and digital communications are increasingly central to that. The government feels the benefits of creating a fully digital society outweighs the cost of implementation. Access to the internet proves to be a problem for many South Africans despite the strides made in infrastructure rollout over the last decade.”
The government plans to initially give every home 10GB a month and up that to 50GB by 2025.
“Government e-enablement will be leveraged to promote a digital society and universal connectivity. There will be a target of 10GB to home by 2023/4 and 50GB to home by 2025/6. There will be an accelerated focus on enhancing service delivery with eHealth and eEducation.”
The goal of the NIP 2050 is to create a foundation for achieving the NDP’s vision of inclusive growth, and its purpose is to promote dynamism in infrastructure delivery, address institutional blockages and weaknesses that hinder success over the longer term, as well as serve as a guiding tool to build stronger institutions that can deliver on NDP aspirations.
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