Internet Cafes Pivotal in Bridging Botswana's Digital Divide
In the heart of Monarch township, Francistown, Botswana, Tshepo Kelentse, the founder of Unique Solutions, has established an internet cafe that serves as a lifeline for many residents. Established in 2021, Unique Solutions caters to around 60 customers daily, offering services such as social media, job applications, school projects, document printing, scanning, and more.
Kelentse, a local entrepreneur, is known for his pro bono assistance to customers like Kefilwe, a 25-year-old unemployed marketing graduate. Kefilwe accesses one hour of internet at Unique Solutions for just 15 pulas ($1), a cost she can afford compared to mobile data bundles that provide broader internet access. Recently, Kefilwe called on Kelentse to assist with navigating the Chema-Chema application portal, an opportunity she is interested in as it offers funding for aspiring entrepreneurs valued at 500 million pulas ($37 million).
The internet cafe, which operates with financial strains due to rent, internet costs, and machine maintenance, has become a beacon of hope for those in the community who cannot afford reliable internet services. Monageng's internet cafe, another local establishment, has seen an increase in foot traffic over the seven years in business, attributed to internet packages not catering to low-income customers.
Monageng's cafe, equipped with an Orange router that advertises speeds of up to 10MBps for 550 pulas ($41) per month, often struggles to achieve even 5Mbps of speed during peak business hours, despite the fact that an internet cafe requires at least 25Mbps to efficiently service its customers.
Robert Golebetswe, another local entrepreneur, plans to introduce a subscription service to attract recurring customers to his internet cafe. He believes that access to funding for expansion plans, including the subscription service, would greatly help. Golebetswe also encourages businesses to utilize local internet cafes instead of traveling into town for services.
Tshepo Monageng, the founder of Monageng's internet cafe, launched his business in 2017 with the aim of offering internet services in low-income townships in Francistown. Looking ahead, Monageng plans to open more branches, acquire larger printers and laminating machines, and expand product offerings in the next five years.
Golebetswe and Kelentse both agree that the private and public sectors should support local internet cafes to ensure continued internet access in low-income neighborhoods. By doing so, they believe that these establishments can play a crucial role in bridging the digital divide and empowering the community.
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