On a mission to improve connectivity for underserved communities, Cape Town-based TooMuchWifi has slashed its data prices to the extent that customers can now get 24 hours of unlimited Internet access for just R5.00 using a daily hotspot voucher.
It has also introduced an unlimited monthly hotspot voucher for R120, while prices of weekly vouchers have been reduced from as much as R100 to just R30.
“We believe that lowering our prices will allow more people in the communities [we service] to connect to the Internet and do so more often,” says Tauriq Brown, CEO of TooMuchWifi. “Most hotspot users can’t afford monthly plans due to limited income and instead rely on weekly or daily vouchers. Through this latest effort, we want to make it easier for all South Africans to connect, no matter their income.
“With the support of our strategic partners – the Mineworkers Investment Company (MIC) and Bamboo Capital – we are now able to lower pricing and give back to the communities we serve.”
Brown says that accessing unlimited data must not be considered a luxury – it has become an essential part of our daily lives. Having no Internet is a significant impediment to making a living, getting an education, registering a business, or accessing the knowledge that exists on the Web. It puts people from underserved communities like townships at a disadvantage.
Brown goes on to say that South Africa is among the countries with the most expensive data options in the world. According to the Worldwide Mobile Data Pricing 2022 Report, calculations show that we pay 134% more for data than any of the other BRICS nations. In 2021, 7,5-million low-income South Africans were paying 80 times more than middle- and upper-income earners for access to the Internet.
TooMuchWifi currently operates in the Western Cape with a customer base of 400 000, servicing 40 low-income communities across the province. However, Brown’s strategic and personal quest is to expand geographically across the country and, in time, internationally.
“Access to the Internet has become an essential need,” Brown says. “It opens up the world to users allowing them to acquire information, to gain or maintain an education, and search for employment, among many other key reasons. While strides have been made by South Africa’s largest ISPs to offer lower rates, pricing is still simply too high for lower-income people.”
“We believe it’s our duty to help those that need it most and this is a sentiment we share with our investors,” Brown adds. “Being able to access the Internet for 24 hours for the price of a R5 voucher can change the game for many, many more individuals or business owners and improve their quality of life and access to opportunities.”