EP21 | Why Your Internet Still Depends on Your Postal Code | SA's Digital Divide
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In this episode of The Angle, we sit down with Dr. Rekgotsofetse Chikane — lecturer at the Wits School of Governance, author, and analyst — to unpack one of South Africa’s most pressing issues: the digital divide.
We explore why, in 2025, your internet speed is still determined by your postal code, how telecom monopolies and outdated regulation have shaped the market, and why short-term thinking has paralyzed progress.
Dr. Chikane makes the case for treating the internet as a public good, why digital infrastructure alone isn't enough, and how a 30-year digital skills plan may be our best hope to ensure no one is left behind.
We talk regulation, state innovation, public-private power struggles, the limitations of the PFMA, and why South Africa continues to lag in building a digitally inclusive future.
* This is part of a limited podcast series titled “The Digital Future of South Africa – Navigating Power, Policy, and Progress” in association with the Wits School of Governance, Tayarisha, and the Civic Tech Innovation Network.
00:00 – Intro: Why this conversation matters
01:30 – How the digital divide still defines life in South Africa
04:45 – Should the internet be a public good?
07:00 – Housing, access, and the language of rights
10:30 – Equality of outcome vs. equality of process
14:00 – Why government can’t innovate without flexibility
18:20 – The power of telecom oligopolies in SA
23:00 – Starlink, e-SIMs, and the future of infrastructure
27:30 – Big Tech in Africa: Regulation challenges
32:00 – Why PFMA stifles state innovation
38:00 – The cost of digital skills gaps
42:00 – M-PESA, SnapScan, and failed innovation in SA
50:00 – What real access means (mechanics vs. coders)
56:00 – What would Dr. Chikane do as President?
59:00 – Final thoughts: Building a long-term digital future
#DigitalGovernance #CivicTech #AfricaDigitalFuture #TechAndPolicy #DigitalInclusion #InnovationInAfrica #PlatformPower #SmartCitiesAfrica #DataSovereignty #TheAnglePodcast
We explore why, in 2025, your internet speed is still determined by your postal code, how telecom monopolies and outdated regulation have shaped the market, and why short-term thinking has paralyzed progress.
Dr. Chikane makes the case for treating the internet as a public good, why digital infrastructure alone isn't enough, and how a 30-year digital skills plan may be our best hope to ensure no one is left behind.
We talk regulation, state innovation, public-private power struggles, the limitations of the PFMA, and why South Africa continues to lag in building a digitally inclusive future.
* This is part of a limited podcast series titled “The Digital Future of South Africa – Navigating Power, Policy, and Progress” in association with the Wits School of Governance, Tayarisha, and the Civic Tech Innovation Network.
00:00 – Intro: Why this conversation matters
01:30 – How the digital divide still defines life in South Africa
04:45 – Should the internet be a public good?
07:00 – Housing, access, and the language of rights
10:30 – Equality of outcome vs. equality of process
14:00 – Why government can’t innovate without flexibility
18:20 – The power of telecom oligopolies in SA
23:00 – Starlink, e-SIMs, and the future of infrastructure
27:30 – Big Tech in Africa: Regulation challenges
32:00 – Why PFMA stifles state innovation
38:00 – The cost of digital skills gaps
42:00 – M-PESA, SnapScan, and failed innovation in SA
50:00 – What real access means (mechanics vs. coders)
56:00 – What would Dr. Chikane do as President?
59:00 – Final thoughts: Building a long-term digital future
#DigitalGovernance #CivicTech #AfricaDigitalFuture #TechAndPolicy #DigitalInclusion #InnovationInAfrica #PlatformPower #SmartCitiesAfrica #DataSovereignty #TheAnglePodcast
