Connecting Underprivileged Schools

Net Nine Nine, which aims to help township communities stay up to date with technological advancements, has committed itself to bridging the gap between schools in townships, rural areas, and well-established urban areas.

This is why the company installs internet technology, specifically fibre internet, ensuring that every school in the areas they operate in receives free internet connectivity – a way of giving back to the communities they serve.

Nicholas Thipe, Net Nine Nine Chief of Staff, stated that they have already connected 56 schools across eight provinces. However, their long-term goal is to connect 100 schools per province within the next three to five years.

“When we talk about humanitarianism, this is exactly what we mean – we are working to close the gap between the privileged and the underprivileged. We want connect schools to ensure the youth have equal opportunities. As part of this mission, we collaborate with small businesses in the areas where we operate so that they, too, can grow,” he said.

“We are also assisting the government because, with our intervention, schools can now use their computers, which were previously unusable due to the lack of internet access.”

Net Nine Nine was founded five years ago by Thipe and Albert Oosthuysen (CEO) with the aim of providing internet connectivity to homes in townships and rural areas. The company started its operations in Kagiso, west of Johannesburg in Gauteng, before expanding to other areas.

Over the past six years, they have connected around 230 000 homes in eight provinces, with Western Cape being the only province where they have yet to begin operations.

“Our biggest challenge is growing at a fast pace, as this requires significant funding. However, our goal is to connect three million households within the next three to five years,” said Thipe.

At present, the company is working on connecting schools in Umlazi, Durban, and Enpangeni, KwaZulu-Natal. Schools that have already benefited include Makhumbuza High School, Swelihle, Khombindlela, and Umgijimi Primary School, as well as other schools in Empangeni, in the northern part of the province.

Thipe added that in the future, they also plan to assist with skills development because they understand that simply providing infrastructure is not enough if people lack the skills to use it effectively.

• This article was first published Wuslindile Khanyile in Umkhanyisi, a Zulu-language newspaper focused on education news.