Western Cape Finance, Economic Development and Tourism (FEDT) Minister Alan Winde on Tuesday unveiled the first of four free WiFi projects set to connect 91 730 Western Cape citizens to the Internet.

The Western Cape government officially launched the pilot project at The Hague Primary School, in Delft, and planned to extend the free WiFi services to Atlantis, Robertson and the Garden Route soon.

“The progress here at The Hague Primary School has demonstrated the power of connectivity. With a focus on maths, schoolteachers are working with a developer to create content for applications. I am pleased that more schools will be connected as part of this pilot project and it’s encouraging to see teachers embracing technology,” said Winde.

The pilot project aimed to test what models “worked best” and replicate these across the Western Cape.

“Eventually, every resident must have access to free or affordable Internet,” Winde said.

The project in Delft, managed by FEDT-appointed nonprofit organisation (NPO) Home of Compassion Ministries, would see 22 local schools connected, acting as central connection points to reach about 43 000 people in the region.

The pilot projects at local schools in Atlantis and Robertson, which were undertaken by NPO Project Isizwe, were expected to go live in July, connecting 19 380 and 9 350 people in each respective region.

NPO Digital Village Communication planned to give 20 000 people access to free WiFi along the Garden Route.

“Their plan focuses on areas where large numbers of residents gather, including local taxi ranks. The first hotspot is already live in Conville, in George,” Winde noted.

The NPOs also offered training programmes for residents, with one of the NPOs boasting a “WiFi champion” to spread the message and work with communities.

“We want people to know about this service and how to access it so that it becomes an asset for communities and we start to see the real benefits of connectivity in terms of growth and job creation,” Winde concluded.