The City of Cape Town’s Smart Cape initiative, which ensures that all residents have free access to basic information and communication technologies, has changed lives over the decade it has been in existence.
Smart Cape was launched in July 2002 on a pilot basis, with five computers being installed in six public libraries across the city. The City developed a model for public access allowing internet-enabled computers to be provided cost-effectively, using open source software and existing infrastructure and resources.
By the end of the first year, there were 3 000 registered Smart Cape users. The initiative was awarded the $1 million Bill Melinda Gates Access to Learning Award in August 2003, which allowed it to expand to all of the City’s public libraries over the next year.
Smart Cape now has over 270 000 registered users at over 100 facilities in libraries across Cape Town, enabling residents to successfully bridge the digital divide.
“Smart Cape is now a Cape Town institution. People use Smart Cape for e-mail, to type CVs and assignments, apply for jobs, conduct research, play games and so on,” said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Corporate Services, Alderman Demetri Qually.
It has also become a model for other municipalities, and the project team has worked on similar projects in the eThekwini and Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Municipalities.
There are 64 Smart Cape computers in the computer room at the Central Library in Darling Street, as well as four at the entrance and eight in the children’s library (Kids’ Smart cape). Usage is limited to 60 minutes, while library members with their own laptops can utilise the free Wi-Fi service with a download capacity of 500MB per month.
The Smart Cape offering goes beyond just providing the equipment. During Computer Literacy Week earlier this year, Central Library in Cape Town’s CBD recognised the need to empower residents with computer skills. Staff conducted hands-on basic computer courses for novices, covering steps such as the keyboard and mouse; MS Word; how to type documents such as CVs as well as how to save them. There were also courses on email for beginners; getting onto G-Mail and social media such as Facebook. This once-off training was so well attended that the Central Library now offers weekly Basic Computer Training sessions, every Tuesday from 09:00 to 10:00.
“Once shown how to operate the computers, users utilise the facilities for a range of purposes including submitting job/graduate programme applications; contacting family outside of South Africa; social networking; employment searches; university/technikon projects; games playing; research; job hunting, social networking, e-mailing, and improve their speed typing,” said Qually.
He also mentioned some of the Smart Cape success stories. A cleaner in a law firm, who completed the basic computer course at the Central Library, has now been offered a job as a secretary in the law firm. “Because of this library, I have a bright future ahead. Thank you guys, you really helped me a lot,” she said.
Other success stories include an 85-year-old man using a computer for the first time; a homeless man who has managed to turn his life around and start a car wash; and a jeweller who used Smart Cape to promote his business on the Cape Town Tourism website and CapeGate database.
“Ultimately, it goes without saying that this initiative has had some life changing results on its patrons and we encourage all Cape Town residents to register themselves as library card holders and come and enjoy the fantastic benefits this free service has to offer,” says Qually.
For more information, visit the Smart Cape website.
How to register:
- Join a library – here is a list of the City’s libraries
- Take your library card to the librarian on duty who will register it
- Register on the computer, assign a user name and password.
