As the sun sets over Zimbabwe’s Matobo Hills, boys throw stones to chase away baboons. Their goal is not to enjoy the sunset view but to search for a cell phone network without interference from wild animals.
Silozwe, a village less than 50 kilometers (31 miles) from the southern city of Bulawayo, southern Africa’s second largest country, is in a connectivity black hole.
To an outsider, the daily stream of villagers climbing the hill might look like a pilgrimage to a rain ceremony, but it’s a common journey to make phone calls, send messages and check social media.
“Grown up as I am, it is difficult for me to get up the hill and sometimes I still fail to connect,” said Sakhile Sibindi, 60, a grandmother who walks five kilometers to reach the spot from her home.
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Rural connectivity issues are not unique to Zimbabwe.
About a third of the world’s population, or 2.6 billion people, do not have access to the Internet, according to the United Nations, which aims to bring everyone online by 2030.
“The Internet is an essential tool for accessing information, employment opportunities and education. People without meaningful access can be left behind,” the UN’s International Telecommunication Union said in a 2023 report.
In sub-Saharan Africa, about one in four people use mobile phones to get online — but 15 percent of the population lives in areas without coverage, according to the GSMA, a telecommunications industry group.
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The Matobo Hills, a UNESCO World Heritage Site famous for its distinctive cliffs, offer some relief to the people of Silozwe.
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But it has some definite drawbacks, such as noisy fellow connectivity hunters eavesdropping on phone calls, Sibindi said.
“If you get the connection, you have no privacy,” he said after stopping there on his way back from a routine health check.
“Sensitive family matters end up being known throughout the village.”
Accessibility is also an issue.
“If someone gets sick at night, you can’t come here to call. If it’s a death, you’ll be left with a dead body in your house because you can’t call for help,” said Sibidi.
Some local residents have come up with clever solutions.
Cell phones stuck to sticks in yards or tied to tree branches in a desperate search for network coverage are a common sight.
Anna Tiyo, a 42-year-old whose husband works in South Africa, used an old metal barrel to create a makeshift network station under a randomly discovered tree, well connected.
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“One day, I got tired of walking in the sun in the field, so I sat here under this tree, watching some videos on my smartphone,” he said.
“WhatsApp messages started coming in and that’s how I found this hotspot.”
Others ask bus drivers and shopkeepers to deliver written or spoken messages.
Out of range
Living in an offline region can be expensive for those trying to do business in a country with high rates of poverty and unemployment.
Bukhosibethu Moyo, a 29-year-old building contractor, said the coverage gaps are costing him customers and money as he cannot accept calls or payments via mobile phone.
“Most of my clients tell me they don’t come to me for several days,” he said.
“They end up hiring people from the city who are readily available online.”
Mobile phone penetration is over 97 percent in Zimbabwe and there are more than 14.5 million active subscriptions in a country of 16 million people, according to the Posts and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe.
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But the government has acknowledged that connectivity is problematic in rural areas.
He promised investment and recently launched a program to equip rural schools with computers.
“We now have a state-of-the-art fiber optic network, a national ICT policy and a Zimbabwe Smart Plan,” Communications Minister Tatenda Mavetera wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, in March.
“These initiatives will transform Zimbabwe into a digital powerhouse, strengthen our economy, improve our lives and connect us to the world.”
But progress has been slow, leaving many villagers feeling neglected.
“We are part of this country and we deserve access to the same opportunities as those in urban areas,” said Tiyo.
The communications ministry did not respond to a request for comment.
Source: AFP