While Politicians Fight for 30%, Rural South Africa Fights for a Signal

By Fr Mathibela Sebothoma

As a Catholic priest serving in the rural outposts of Bronkhorspruit — not the town, but the hard-to-reach periphery — I have watched, year after year, as South Africa’s digital divide grows deeper. And now, as government debates whether Elon Musk’s Starlink should be allowed to operate in South Africa, I must speak not as a politician or a businessman, but as a witness to the daily suffering of our people.

Let us be clear: South Africa’s regulatory frameworks — including the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) and the Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) policies — are not optional. They were born of our painful past and are designed to ensure economic redress for those previously excluded through colonialism and apartheid. No foreign company, no matter how advanced or American, should be allowed to bypass our laws.

But what happens when those very regulations, meant to uplift the poor, are hijacked by elites to entrench themselves further in wealth and power?

Right now, as ministers debate whether to side with Elon Musk’s SpaceX or pivot towards China as an alternative, the rural poor of South Africa are completely left out of the conversation. There is no public consultation, no rural representation — only hushed deals and shadowy negotiations. The reality is that whether it’s an American billionaire or a Chinese conglomerate, the 30% requirement will benefit the politically connected — relatives and cronies — not the child in Limpopo who walks 20km to school, or the job-seeker who must travel to Pretoria just to email a CV.

My Story: The Daily Reality of the Disconnected

When I was posted to this rural area, cellphone coverage was non-existent. With Vodacom, I could not make a single call without hiking a hill or driving kilometres to "find signal." MTN later installed a booster — not because it was profitable, but after consistent pleading and pressure. We got 10mbps download speeds. That’s a miracle by rural standards, but laughable by city standards. In my previous posting, I had 100mbps, consistently. Here, to reach that speed, I’d have to drive 60km to Pretoria.

Now imagine the economic implications: No connectivity means no remote work. No online learning. No telehealth. No applying for jobs or scholarships. No dignity. No future. We are told to “wait” for development while children in cities access the digital world at birth. If you’re born in the rural heartland of this country, your destiny is delayed by decades.

In April, we lost connectivity entirely. A full month of data chaos. Calls to MTN were endless, but the silence was louder. It was only after I lodged a complaint with ICASA that a technician arrived — and Eskom ensured there was no electricity that day.

While They Feast, We Starve for Data

This is not just an anecdote. It is a mirror to our nation. While politicians squabble over who gets to “eat” from the Starlink or China deals, millions are digitally starving. The 30% B-BBEE requirement — noble in principle — has become a golden ticket for the politically connected. The real 30% should be the rural child with a dream, the unemployed graduate with a laptop but no signal, the small business owner who could sell to the world but can’t even open a webpage.

The truth is bitter: In South Africa, you only become equal at the grave — Sobonana Emathuneni, we say. Life here is Animal Farm, and the liberators of yesterday have become the pigs of today, no longer quoting Orwell, because they are the ones wearing his costume.

Connectivity is Not a Luxury — It’s a Lifeline

What if I were running an online business? I would be bankrupt. What if a child needs to apply for a university? Too late — no signal. What if someone needs an ambulance? Too bad — call drops. This is not about Silicon Valley or Beijing. It’s about justice, service delivery, and the dignity of every South African.

The government’s failure to invest in rural connectivity is criminal. The telecoms’ failure to serve low-profit areas is unethical. And the public’s inability to take the government to court — because justice is too expensive — is a betrayal of our Constitution.

Next year, politicians will descend on our villages with empty promises during the election silly season. They will promise fibre in every home, free data, jobs in tech. And after the last vote is cast, they will retreat to their fibre-connected mansions while we climb trees to make WhatsApp calls.

We Need Action. Now.

Let us demand:

1. Universal Connectivity as a basic human right.

2. Immediate Rural Internet Infrastructure funded by the public-private partnerships where communities are part of the ownership, not just consumers.

3. Transparent Regulatory Processes — publish who stands to benefit from foreign deals.

4. Reform of ICASA to become truly independent and enforce service to rural and poor communities.

5. Digital Justice Clinics to help poor communities seek recourse.

The conversation is not about Elon Musk vs China. It is about whether the children of Ga-Matlala, Cofimvaba, Giyani, and Moutse have the same right to opportunity as the children of Sandton.

It is time our government stopped acting like gatekeepers to opportunity. They must become the builders of it. If they can’t, they must move aside.

Rural South Africa is tired of being promised dignity. We demand it now.