CASE STUDY #3 ZIBUZA

Zibuza (Zibuza.net) is an online professional learning community that launched in 2016 with the goal of improving the quality of teaching and learning outcomes, particularly in South African public schools, quintile 1–3.10 The aim was to connect teachers across the country with their peers, experts and organisations, and then facilitate interactions around academic and nonacademic support.

In 2020, Zibuza joined the campaign for zero-rating but discovered they could not apply because their platform was based in the United States and it had to be hosted in South Africa to be considered. However, a teacher from rural Mpumalanga reached out, asking if their monthly teacher award could be changed to thrice monthly, as he could only afford to log on for two weeks per month because of high data costs. “This was counter to our vision and mission for a more inclusive and equitable schooling environment,” explains Malcolm Mooi, Zibuza’s founder. “Getting our platform zero-rated became a key priority.”

In November 2020, Zibuza applied to be zero-rated via the Department of Basic Education (DBE). They were also able to migrate their infrastructure from the United States to South Africa, in terms of compliance. Zibuza was zero-rated in the first quarter of 2021.

Mooi says that zero-rating enabled the PBO to offer more services to teachers and learners. It launched a virtual learning environment that mimics in-person experiences:

› CLASSROOMS: teachers can build and publish courses/lessons for learners to access.

› LABS: there are 90 interactive maths and science simulations.

› LIBRARIES: teachers and learners can access more than 3 500 books across all grades, subject areas, and in all official languages.

Learnings

› Zibuza did not see an increase in users using the site when it was zero-rated. They saw more engagement when the lockdown first happened, but by the time the platform was zero-rated, this demand had plateaued.

› Zibuza was informed by a partner organisation that the site was zero-rated, not by the relevant government department. Many PBOs are frustrated by the lack of communication from authorities. The process of zero-rating under the disaster regulations lacked transparency and PBOs were equally ill-informed about the reversal of their zero-rated status known as “unzero-rating” after the disaster regulations were lifted.

WHAT NEXT?

The National State of Disaster and provisional spectrum regulations forced mobile operators to zero-rate a wide range of websites. Although these obligations ended with the state of disaster in April 2022, they were replaced with social obligations under their new spectrum licences. ICASA requires telecommunications operators who won bids to zero-rate all mobile content provided by PBOs.

What remains is for ICASA to agree to a mechanism whereby this can be done. DGMT is working with ICASA and the Department of Communications and Digital Technology to facilitate this.

Key insights were learnt through the experience of zero-rating of health and educational websites in terms of the disaster regulations:

› Technically, it is possible to maintain a zero-rated basket of websites and applications (which the network operators achieved both for mandated sites and those they chose to include in their own subscriber benefit packages).

› However, management and monitoring systems must be robust to prevent attempts to misuse the system. These systems must be aimed at preventing both potential user fraud and misuse by PBOs.

› Some of the crucial digital services provided by PBOs fall outside the specific ambit of government departments (e.g. training and support for young people not in education, employment or training [NEET], and youth- and leadership development). For this reason, applications from several PBOs in support of young people outside formal systems were rejected – despite their education and information content being vital for livelihoods during and beyond the Covid-19 disaster period.

› Many PBOs also provide digital support in several areas – from early childhood development to accelerated learning and remediation, to job mediation – and need digital content related to all of these components to be zero-rated. It would be difficult for them to submit the content through a single line department; yet multiple submissions to different departments will lead to delays and likely systems failure.

In DGMT’s view, the following key design elements for the system will be most effective:

› explicit communication of guidelines and conditions for the use of zero-rated services (both for end users and PBO applicants);

› one entry point for all PBO applications, to facilitate compliance and monitoring;

› one point of authorisation;

› maintenance of a registry;

› an interface with network operators;

› compliance monitoring;

› reporting; and

› regulatory enforcement.

› The mechanism for oversight will need to be funded. These can be achieved through a simplified system proposed in Figure 4.

ZERO-RATING REGISTRY OF PBOs

A single registry of zero-rated sites should be instituted. Its functions should include:

› maintenance of the register of zero-rated sites;

› records of the utilisation of zero-rated sites;

› continual review of the digital content of zero-rated sites to ensure they comply with the public benefit activities outlined in Schedule 9 of the Income Tax Act; and

› reporting back to network operators, oversight structures and the general public.

The process of PBO application management (via an online system) could be outsourced to a service provider, while government websites would automatically be included in the registry.

OPTION OF A SINGLE PORTAL VERIFICATION/INTERFACE

The zero-rating registry could have one interface with all network operators through a single portal containing the domains and other technical specifications of the zero-rated digital applications. Working with the network operators, this portal could help ensure a secure platform through which all datafree services could be accessed by the user. This portal could be hosted and managed by a contracted digital service provider.

Zero-rating represents a major breakthrough because it will enable all mobile phone users to access digital content for early learning, education, health and work preparation, among other services, in their own homes. Arguably, it is the most significant move towards bridging South Africa’s digital divide since the introduction of mobile technology.