{"id":105706,"date":"2017-11-28T18:47:38","date_gmt":"2017-11-28T16:47:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/how-a-rural-community-built-south-africas-first-isp-owned-and-run-by-a-cooperative-the-conversation\/"},"modified":"2017-11-28T18:47:38","modified_gmt":"2017-11-28T16:47:38","slug":"how-a-rural-community-built-south-africas-first-isp-owned-and-run-by-a-cooperative-the-conversation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/how-a-rural-community-built-south-africas-first-isp-owned-and-run-by-a-cooperative-the-conversation\/","title":{"rendered":"How a rural community built South Africa’s first ISP owned and run by a cooperative | The Conversation"},"content":{"rendered":"

How a rural community built South Africa’s first ISP owned and run by a cooperative<\/a>: <\/p>\n

A Zenzeleni cooperative member carefully aligns some equipment in the village of Mankosi, Eastern Cape.<\/span> Bill Tucker<\/span><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Mankosi is a remote rural community in South Africa\u2019s Eastern Cape province. It is home to almost 6,000 people. The nearest city is Mthatha, about 60 kilometres away, as a bird flies.<\/p>\n

Most homes are not connected to the electricity grid; residents charge their cellphones at a local shop or shebeen, for which they must pay. Both data and airtime for those phones also cost a lot: a survey shows that people spend up to 22% of their income on telecommunications. This is money that could be spent on food, education, transport and other needs.<\/p>\n

They\u2019re not alone. South Africa has some of the highest mobile voice and data costs in the world.<\/p>\n

Yet, things are changing in Mankosi. A research team at the University of the Western Cape has worked with residents to develop a solar powered wireless community network. <\/p>\n

The Zenzeleni Networks project \u2013 Zenzeleni means \u201cdo it yourself\u201d in isiXhosa, the Eastern Cape\u2019s most prevalent language \u2013 is, as far as we\u2019re aware, the South Africa\u2019s first and only Internet Service Provider (ISP) that\u2019s owned and run by a rural cooperative. Just like any ISP, Zenzeleni installs and maintains telecommunications infrastructure and also sells telecommunications services like voice and data.<\/p>\n

Yet what\u2019s special about the project is that it involves a registered not-for-profit company which works with cooperatives in the community to deliver affordable voice and data services. Crucially, the project also keeps money in communities like Mankosi, often beset by high rates of unemployment. <\/p>\n

The community networks model has proven successful elsewhere in the world: the largest is in Spain \u2013 the Guifi.net project. Others that have been developed successfully include projects in Zambia and Mexico. <\/p>\n

How it works<\/h2>\n

The Mankosi project was launched in 2012 and legally registered in 2014. I have done research on information and communication technology for development in the Mankosi area since 2003. Since then, colleagues and postgraduate students, have also worked, even lived, in the area for extensive periods of time.<\/p>\n

To establish the Zenzeleni network we approached local leaders to help get the community on board and we provided help and mentorship. Ultimately the residents run the project themselves.<\/p>\n