“No Internet, no modern life.” That’s the blunt conclusion of young South African, Godfrey.
He’s not wrong. South Africa has among the highest Internet penetration rates on the continent, but a digital divide persists, leaving many young people like Godfrey and their families with no Internet access. They’re desperate to be connected, and to transform their lives.
Now, change is underway. With the rollout of the national broadband strategy—SA Connect—a “digital highway” to the future is extending from cities into rural areas.
Voices from the Unconnected
Godfrey lives in Diepsloot, Gauteng, a densely populated, underserved community. With weak broadband infrastructure, most households—including Godfrey’s—remain unconnected.
“In brief passings, the Internet has revealed to me glimpses of lives beyond the constricted space I live in,” says Godfrey. “The rest of the time, however, the poor connection here stops me from taking a further step out.”
As the main family breadwinner, Godfrey works part-time and is set on becoming a barista. But it requires hours of online learning, and without home broadband and with mobile data costs prohibitively high, staying connected is a luxury. Godfrey often switches his phone to airplane mode to save data, drafts his job applications offline, and then walks 1.2 kilometers to the nearest mall for its one hour of free Wi-Fi. There, he sends out his daily batch of applications, only to miss short-notice video interviews after he returns home. Godfrey’s story is echoed throughout many more communities still left behind by digital transformation.
Building South Africa’s Digital Highway
To bridge the digital divide, the South African government launched the SA Connect national broadband strategy, with the goal of bringing affordable, reliable, high-capacity broadband access to every South African by 2030.
As a state-owned enterprise, Broadband Infraco (BBI) is charged by the Department of Communications and Digital Technologies (DCDT) with expanding South Africa’s broadband infrastructure. In collaboration with Huawei, Broadband Infraco is building an intelligent all-optical backbone network, which will directly support the goals of SA Connect.
Gift Zowa, CEO of Broadband Infraco, said, “We are addressing one of SA Connect’s primary goals, the DCDT’s flagship broadband connectivity project, to make connectivity inclusive and bring stable, high-capacity broadband to all South African communities and government facilities by 2030.”
Broadband Infraco uses Huawei’s next-generation Optical Cross-Connect (OXC) technology to deliver 800G wavelengths across its network—a cutting-edge infrastructure leap that will support SA Connect’s ambitions for expansion of broadband access. It also enables massive volumes of data to be transferred between cities or data centers, powering applications in healthcare, education, e-commerce, and e-government, as well as fueling South Africa’s digital economy.
Expanding Inclusive Connectivity with All-Optical Broadband
Through its intelligent all-optical backbone and partnerships with local service providers, BBI has connected over 13,000 public Wi-Fi hotspots and more than 2 million homes in underserved and rural areas nationwide, transforming network connectivity in these areas.
Nomso Kana, CEO of a local ISP, SimSciex, observed: “Improving Internet access is the key to driving economic growth. With the reliable network built by BBI, we have expanded rural and household network coverage with high-quality broadband, enabling remote work, boosting employment, and helping small- and medium-sized enterprises reach new markets.”
Despite the limited connectivity in his community, Godfrey is optimistic, knowing his area has been included in the SA Connect plans. With fiber and Wi-Fi coverage planned by the end of 2026 and more affordable packages for disadvantaged communities, SA Connect is bringing the digital world closer to remote areas. For many young people like Godfrey, a digital life is finally within reach.
Realizing the 2030 Vision
As the first 800G intelligent optical backbone network deployed by the government sector, the infrastructure will not only bring inclusive benefits to South Africa but also serve as a key driver of the digital economy. By 2030, the rapid growth of applications such as telemedicine, smart cities, and artificial intelligence will increase demand for capacity and services; the backbone network aims to lower connectivity costs and accelerate progress in sectors such as healthcare, education, e-commerce and e-government.
BBI has completed the construction of 100G/400G/800G backbone networks across Gauteng and various northern regions with the goal of strengthening high-speed cross-border connectivity across the SADC region. The full backbone will span all nine provinces and extend to the borders of six neighboring countries.
Gift Zowa, CEO of Broadband Infraco, said, “We are collaborating to build one of South Africa’s best national broadband infrastructure. This will guide South Africa toward its 2030 vision, where everyone can participate equally in the digital era.”
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