Vuma Optic Core 2021 by Vuma

ISSUE 03 |2021-2022

OPTIC The art of Abundance 12

94.7 Presenter F R A N K I E D U T O I T L O V E S H I S F I B R E

T H E R O A D T O U N L O C K I N G S O U T H A F R I C A’ S P O T E N T I A L

Connecting the dots 8

U N D E R S T A N D I N G F I B R E , 5 G A N D L T E B R O A D B A N D

BACK TO THE FUTURE This is why fibre is a game changer

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CONTENTS

FEATURES MIND THE GAP AND REACH FOR THE STARS Life doesn’t have to wait

WHY FRANKIE DU TOIT LOVES HIS FIBRE The 94.7 Radio Presenter shares his thoughts

A real game-changing experience

Unlocking a new world of entertainment Downloading a new era in content, in real time

2 Press play and move forward

The opportunities are endless

Connecting South Africans, connecting to the world

A story of purpose, hope and passion

Creating an imagination nation

Supporting the educational growth of South Africa’s youth through fibre

It’s a matter of speed Determining the right internet speed for your needs.

Our journey to becoming South Africa’s fastest growing broadband provider

Living in a fibre-future world

Connecting the dots

To infinity and beyond

Understanding Fibre, 5G and LTE Broadband

What’s coming next?

The art of abundance

Corporate social investment

The road to unlocking South Africa’s true potential

Vuma firmly believes in going the extra mile

Nafisa Akabor talks the power of fibre

A REAL GAME-CHANGING EXPERIENCE

A warm welcome to Vuma Optic: Core It’s hard to believe that a mere 40 years ago, the thought of using a computerised system in your home was such a foreign concept, let alone a handheld device that gave you access to a world of information at the touch of a screen. It is incredible to look back and see how far we have come. While we may not yet see flying cars race around the sky, commute between Point A and Point B via underground tubes that travel at the speed of light or grab our morning coffee from a robot barista, we are on the precipice of a new era. As we transition into a period in history that will usher in technology we are yet to comprehend, it is exciting to think that people across the world, regardless of income or location, will have access to an abundance of information and knowledge that empowers them to move forward and dream big. We are striving to create a world where everyone is connected and truly believe that we can build a connected future for all, it all starts with fast fibre. The time for unlimited opportunities is here, and we at Vuma look forward to navigating this journey with you. The Vuma Team

B E E N T E R TA I N E D 2021-2022

PRESS PLAY & MOVE FORWARD The opportunities are endless Are you ready to join us on an exciting journey to connectivity? Accessibility, through an abundance of fibre, is on our doorstep and we’re eager to unlock the door to more, to a world where everyone in South Africa has access to fast and reliable fibre. When we look forward to what lies ahead and what is coming our way, it’s important to look back and recognise the road we have taken to get us where we are now. In this edition, 94.7’s Frankie Du Toit warm-heartedly reflects on his first experience with the digital world and technology, and how integral fibre has become in his day-to-day-life, whether it be streaming his favourite show or running his own business from home. Technology guru and journalist, Nafisa Akabor, remembers the dial-up connection and when fibre first hit her hood. Here, we explore online entertainment and unpack fibre speeds. We investigate big data in the age of abundance and how it is bridging the digital divide around South Africa - an exciting movement towards limitless potential for each and every individual. We also break down the difference between fibre and wireless services such as 5G, and what roles they will both play in our future. Finally, we invite you to celebrate some wonderful accomplishments and successes we have achieved as a company recently. Whether you’re new to the journey or a longstanding friend, it’s time to reach out, press play and enjoy a game-changing experience with us.

Creating an Imagination Nation

Supporting the educational growth of South Africa’s youth through fibre Imagine a world where every South African child has access to the information that they need in order to build a bright future for themselves, their families and communities. Access to education is a basic human right, and every child deserves the opportunity to unlock unlimited potential, not only through the schools they attend but by having the necessary tools that enable them to move forward and create the life they want. Education is the backbone of South Africa’s future leaders. That’s why Vuma, together with our Internet Service Provider partners, are committed to providing every school we pass in our growing network of neighbourhoods with 1 Gigabit per second (Gbps) internet connections. We go into each school and install a fibre line at no cost, and work alongside the Internet Service Provider to ensure that the school reaps the benefits of free, world-class internet access.

We are committed to our ethos that stands firm in the belief that fibre can empower ordinary people to do extraordinary things. Children deserve the opportunity to experience the extraordinary, to be extraordinary and we are committed to helping as many children as possible achieve unbelievable things. As we move forward, entering new communities and areas around South Africa, we will continue to assist with the educational needs of our country’s children. We wouldn’t be able to do this without the help of our valued Internet Service Provider partners. We work very closely with them to make the magic happen and we would like to thank each partner who is walking this journey with us: Active Fibre, Afrihost, Comtel, Cool Ideas, Easy Web, Home-Connect, Legends Connect, Mweb, Rocket Net, Skyfi, Web Connection, Websquad & WIRULink

This has been a passion project for us since we began the initiative in 2015 when we installed our first fibre line at Parkhurst Primary School in Johannesburg, Gauteng. Since then, we are proud to say that we have connected over 420 schools with fast internet access.

B E E N T E R TA I N E D 2021-2022

Mind the gap and reach for the stars

Life doesn’t have to wait. The road to accessible transformation and bridging the digital divide Access to information and knowledge at the press of button has become one of the most powerful global commodities. Data, in a technology-driven world, fuels almost every touchpoint of day-to-day life and empowers people to not only stay informed but enables them to build a brighter future, offering greater opportunities. As we become more accustomed to working from home, as life moves forward to become more data-centric and as access to this data becomes a fundamental human need, all communities across our diverse nation deserve the opportunity to empower

themselves through connectivity. With the high prices of mobile data and limited coverage, where every megabyte counts and the cost a great burden, access to high-speed, uncapped broadband will become a powerful tool in transforming South Africa’s digital economy. That is why the roll-out of affordable fibre broadband to underserviced urban communities such as Grassy Park, Retreat, Mitchells Plain and Vosloorus is such a game-changer. When affordable, uncapped broadband becomes available in neighbourhoods where it wasn’t available before, people’s lives change. As high-speed, uncapped internet becomes abundant to many people and available on-demand, people can take their future into their own hands, whether it by educating themselves through tutorial videos on YouTube, or the latest news that keeps

them informed. Children can research school projects from the safety of their homes without the fear of racking up huge data bills, including watching hours’ worth of educational video content. Imagine this, a young girl who is 10 years old dreams of one day becoming an Engineer but she doesn’t have the means to access the educational material she needs in order to make this dream a reality. Fibre is rolled out in her community and suddenly, she is given the opportunity to stream educational content from the kitchen table. She doesn’t need to get to the library or rely entirely on a textbook to aid her. She is now empowered to make all her dreams come true. It is for this reason that we are rolling out Vuma fibre services to South African communities at reduced price points. In Mitchells Plain, we have developed a pre-paid fibre-to-the-home service that offers a 20 Mbps download speed at an affordable price.

The reason these prices will differ from community to community, particularly in relation to our core fibre offering, is based on the economies of scale in South Africa’s densely populated urban neighbourhoods. We are busy implementing a new approach in rolling out our physical fibre cables, sharing bandwidth between subscribers. Building on this, Vuma CEO, Dietlof Mare believes that it is now time to innovate and develop South African solutions for South African challenges. “Generally, in urban areas, the lower the income, the higher the population density. This we believe provides the key to unlocking the pricing conundrum. More customers can be reached more efficiently and affordably in some lower-income areas due to the higher density. This landscape presents the perfect opportunity for fixed-line providers to develop alternative, efficient, innovative and affordable solutions to serve this market, while still providing the abundance of internet that is made possible by fibre,” says Mare.

The high-speed connectivity needs in the lower-income households are no different to those in the more affluent suburbs of South Africa Each country has its own unique needs and therefore, international models may not be suited to our localised environment. Mare uses the example of taxi cabs in more developed economies to highlight this. “Take London in the UK for example, black cabs are seen on every street corner because, generally everyone can afford them. We cannot, nor should we, always transpose models from international markets. In South Africa, we have a multitude of taxi options, from Uber Black to Toyota Quantums. Both will get you from A to B, but the Quantum is far more affordable,” he explained. “The same need is fulfilled, but there are some differences. The products are slightly different, the experience is slightly different and a different amount of capital is required to serve the customer in each case. Therefore, these services come at a different price to the consumer.”

little more every month, but whose Internet needs have also expanded over the years. In Grassy Park, Retreat, Mitchells Plain and Vosloorus, Vuma is rolling out a network that is more like the Toyota Quantum of fibre infrastructure — more people share the same vehicle and split the cost of the transport, but in the end, everyone gets to where they need to be. “The high-speed connectivity needs in the lower-income households are no different to those in the more affluent suburbs of South Africa. The only way, in our opinion, to meet the needs of everyone is to deploy customised, cost-efficient technologies that are future-proof and satisfy the demands of households across South Africa with innovative products and price points,” concluded Mare.

At Vuma, we have applied the same principle to our different fibre packages and pricing solutions. In communities like Parkhurst, Vuma’s network is like Uber Black — a premium experience for households that can not only afford to pay a

B E E N T E R TA I N E D 2020 1-2021 2

Our journey to becoming South Africa’s fastest growing broadband provider Driven by our desire to connect a country.

2020 Since we began our journey in 2014 as a pioneer of fibre-tothe-home, we have been driven to provide fast and reliable fibre access to millions of homes and communities across the country by forging new paths and creating exciting opportunities for our fellow citizens. 2020 saw the world as we know it, forever changed. It is was during this time that we were all reminded of how important connectivity is, in connecting to the internet, to each other and to the world. As the globe switched to working from

home, having access to fast and reliable internet became a fundamental human necessity, highlighting the need to strive for digital inclusivity. As a company, we are extremely privileged to be part of an industry revolutionising the South African landscape. With such wonderful accomplishments to back our vision and our duty to provide accessible fibre for all, we continue to look forward to a brighter future and by mid 2021, we aim to have reached more than 1 000 000 homes in South Africa.

It was during this period that Vuma won South Africa’s Fastest Growing Broadband Provider in 2020 at the prestigious International Business Magazine Awards. Vuma CEO, Dietlof Mare, was also bestowed with an award for Telecom CEO of the Year 2020 South Africa.

2014 6

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Connecting the dots. Understanding Fibre, 5G and LTE Broadband

vs fibre

Connectivity is key in our modern lives, we can’t live without it. Since fibre was introduced to the South African broadband market, we’ve become used to high-speed internet. Gone are the days of having to wait two days for a download to be completed. Do you remember when after 48 hours, your download still has another 48 hours to go? It was frustrating and time consuming. Now, we can stream anything on demand, and what may have taken 24 hours, now takes a quick hop, skip and jump to download. But what do Fibre, 4G, 5G and LTE mean and which one is best suited to your internet needs? These are the questions we ask ourselves due to the rate at which technology changes and

& 5G

LTE

advances. it’s sometimes hard to keep up with all the buzz words and new terms. Luckily, ADSL is becoming a thing of the internet’s past – it’s one less service to worry about. But where to next? Perhaps you live in one of the handful of areas that have 5G coverage, or maybe your area has just become fibre-ready and you’re considering switching from that old ADSL line. There are so many options to choose from and it’s easy to get stuck in an analysis paralysis. Don’t fret, we have broken down the differences between fibre fixed-line broadband and wireless technology like 4G and 5G, allowing you to make the right decision for you and your internet needs.

The Race for Pace Fibre vs 5G and LTE The biggest and most important difference between fibre and mobile internet connections such as 4G or 5G, is that you pay according to the speed you want. For example, a 50 megabits per second (Mbps) fibre connection is cheaper than a 100 Mbps or 1 Gbps connection. When you buy mobile based broadband, regardless of whether or not it’s 4G or 5G, your internet speed may vary and is really out of your control. These types of connections tend to fluctuate in speed based on a number of factors such as external conditions,

the amount of people using the network at one time and network coverage in your area. Think about those moments when you’ve visited certain locations and pick up the phone to call someone or browse the net but there’s little to no mobile coverage. Inconsistent speed and coverage can become rather frustrating when you’re dependant on it, whether it be for work, a school assignment or to stream the next episode of your favourite show on Netflix. Wireless signals are much more vulnerable to interference than signals that travel along a cable i.e. fibre.

GAME ON If you’re a passionate gamer, you’ll be interested in a something called latency. Anyone who has played competitive or co-operative games online will have seen the terms latency or ping being used to talk about the quality of the game’s connection. Latency is simply the time it takes for you to send a message over the internet and receive a response. It is measured in thousandths of a second, or milliseconds. Here’s a great example of latency - think of it as the time it takes from the moment you press ENTER when Googling something, to Google responding with a variety of options based on your search. It is normally a very quick response.

Talk to me about affordability

A short ping is not the only important factor to consider as a gamer, a stable ping is just as crucial. If your latency suddenly dips between 50 and 150 milliseconds at any given moment, it’s unfortunately game over. This is not ideal if you are competing with people, whether they are across the room, road or world.

THE DREAM STREAM The likes of streaming services such as Netflix, Showmax and Apple TV+ are rising in popularity across South Africa due to high internet speeds, convenience (on-demand content) and affordability. If you like to spend your evenings unwinding from a busy day by streaming the latest content, then the consistency of your internet speed is vital. There is nothing worse than getting comfortable on the couch with your favourite show only to have it buffer half way through because there are just too many other people in your neighbourhood with the same idea.

Fibre vs 5G and LTE The price you pay for your internet connection is perhaps the most key factor people consider when choosing which way they want to go with their connection. As living costs continue to rise, every Rand is important, and considering cost-effective broadband packages becomes integral in the decision-making process. It is not just about which Internet Service Provider offers the cheapest monthly package, but which Internet connection gives you the best value for money. If you want to use your connection at home for streaming services, you will most certainly be going through many gigabytes of data every month. Therefore, an uncapped connection will be your best bet. This also applies to gamers as downloading games can reach up to 70 GB or more and, one can’t forget the importance of excellent latency. Recent research from Brian Armstrong shows that fibre is typically the best value for money if you use more than 70 GB of data per month. Armstrong was the COO at Telkom until March 2017, and he is currently Chair of Digital Business at Wits Business School. Armstrong’s research indicates fibre becomes much cheaper than 4G if you use more than 100 GB or more in a month, which is easy to do if you are streaming video, downloading big games or working from home on a day-to-day basis.

B E E N T E R TA I N E D 2021-2022

vs fibre

& 5G

LTE

To use capped or uncapped internet, that is the question Fibre vs 5G and LTE We’ve talked about speed, now it’s time to tackle usage limits. These limits refer to capped internet and uncapped internet. When an internet connection doesn’t have strict usage limits, it is called an uncapped connection. A capped connection or service is one where you are only allowed to use a certain amount of data every month. Word on the street is, there is a lot of confusion between connection speeds and caps. When choosing a type of broadband connection, it’s important to know the differences in how speed and caps are measured. Speed is always measured according to a unit of time. Take the speed of car for example, it is measured in kilometres per hour. The speed of a broadband connection is measured in megabits per second (Mbps) or for extremely fast connections - gigabits per second (Gbps). When surveying the fibre landscape for packages, Internet Service Providers (ISPs) will generally offer an uncapped connection. This means that you can use as much data as you want, within reason. These providers will usually spell out what “within reason” means

for them in their terms and conditions. These terms are known as Acceptable Use Policies (AUP) or Fair Use Policies (FUP). Some ISPs advertise that they have extremely permissive AUPs or FUPs and say that they “do not throttle” and “do not shape” your internet speeds based on the amount of data you use. This means that you can use as much data as you want and your service provider will not slow down your connection. However, providers with permissive FUPs do reserve the right to do whatever they must to protect their networks under extreme circumstances. These extreme circumstances need to truly be extraordinary. Fear not, if you stream Netflix or YouTube every day, or download many games through platforms such as Steam, you have nothing to worry about. Capped connections are a lot less common on fibre broadband, but there are still many providers that offer affordable capped fibre products. However, caps are still very common on wireless Internet services (5G/4G/LTE). Such caps are usually measured in gigabytes (GB) for home and business connections, or megabytes (MB) on mobile phones.

Getting the job done Fibre vs 5G and LTE

To choose the best at-home internet connection based on your preferences and connectivity needs, ask yourself these simple questions.

Do you need reliable speeds and latency?

Depending on your need for speed, uncapped fibre-to-the-home can also be much more cost effective than an uncapped wireless service.

If you do, then you definitely need a fibre connection. Wireless technologies are vulnerable to interference, and performance will degrade based on the amount of people using that connection at one time.

Does the service provider require a contract?

Are you going to be streaming content, downloading games, or anything else that required a lot of data? If your primary purpose is to stream online content, then you will most certainly need an uncapped connection. While there are uncapped 5G and LTE services available in South Africa, coverage is limited. Uncapped wireless services can also lead to towers becoming oversubscribed, which causes slower speeds.

If possible, try and avoid binding contracts that keep you locked in for years on end. Two years is a long time in South Africa’s rapidly changing broadband landscape. If a contract offers much better value than a month-to-month deal, make sure you fully understand the cancellation and payment terms. As we have seen a massive change in day-to-day life due to the global crisis, we are seeing a big shift in people adapting to a work-from-home basis, which will ultimately change the way we work in the future. It’s important to arm yourself with as much information as possible and ask those questions as the future has arrived a lot sooner than expected.

B E E N T E R TA I N E D 2021-2022

THE ART OF ABUNDANCE Unlocking South Africa’s true potential Over the past few years, the term “big data” has become a buzz word and a topic of conversation for many, particularly due how data can transform lives and unlock new doors to education and growth. Big data means abundance and access to information for those who need it most. It can change the quality of people’s lives and in the information age we live in, this means hope and transformation for many millions of South Africans. With the high price of mobile data, and limited access to technology-driven infrastructure such as a fibre optic network, many South Africans can’t truly enjoy the wealth of abundance that gives them the tools needed to access the extraordinary. Vuma CEO, Dietlof Mare believes that this data scarcity in South Africa has far-reaching consequences. Lack of abundant Internet access translates to lost opportunities for entrepreneurs, school students, young people and elders. Consider two children in school who are working on a project - one lives in Sandton and has access to uncapped broadband at home. The other child lives in a lower-income area and their parents can only afford a small amount of mobile data per month. The child in Sandton will be able to research a topic for his or her project by watching video tutorials on YouTube, as well as access other online educational content like Khan Academy. These resources help a learner better understand the subject matter, or can explain difficult concepts in a way they can understand. In contrast, the child who has to be careful about how much data they consume will not be able to use these same resources.

Let’s look at another example where the South African government is trying to make important information more abundantly accessible is MomConnect, a maternal health platform. MomConnect is one of the flagship programmes from the Department of Health, developed in partnership with the Praekelt Foundation. According to the Praekelt Foundation, MomConnect has registered over two million users since it launched in 2014, its help desk has processed 500,000 messages, and 95% of clinics in South Africa are participating. Scientific studies around the world have shown that the deaths of infants and women in childbirth can be substantially decreased with timely antenatal and postnatal care. MomConnect uses cheaper mobile data technologies like SMS and USSD to provide women with information on antenatal and postnatal care. Imagine the information that could be delivered to expectant mothers if this service was not limited by data scarcity. If mothers around the country have access to abundant broadband, services like MomConnect can really make a difference to our nation through augmented images, videos, and many new features. Abundant access to information is truly the key to unlocking South Africa’s potential.

B E E N T E R TA I N E D 2021-2022

Unlocking a new world of entertainment Downloading a new era in content, in real time Want to watch all 10 seasons of Friends in one go? No problem. Can’t wait for the next episode of the hottest new show? You’re covered. Whether you’re a fan of Netflix or Showmax or both, streaming enjoyable and entertaining shows, movies and kids programs at the click of a button has revolutionised how we consume content and has impressively changed our overall viewing experiences. It’s hard to believe that a few short years ago, we made ourselves comfy on the couch after dinner to browse TV channels in search of something interesting to watch. Remember when you had to wait, with bated breath, for the next episode of your favourite TV show to air a week later to see what happened next? It was tough, and what was only a week felt like a month, maybe even two. Thankfully, those days are drawing to an end and the era of silver screen and pricey TV services are slowly becoming redundant. As accessible fibre continues to grow across the world and South Africa, millions of people now have access to the internet speeds they need in order to stream the content they enjoy most. Gone are the days of expensive memberships and a one-model-fits-all approach. For the same price as a premium satellite TV subscription, you can now have a high-speed, uncapped fibre connection and a subscription to Netflix.

According to research from BMIT, one of the main reasons South Africans install fibre in their homes is to make use of streaming services for entertainment. Fibre has enabled quick and affordable opportunities for people to access the likes of YouTube, Netflix, Showmax, Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV+, and the new free movie streaming service from Plex. Whether you prefer to watch movies, shows, the news, or sports, fibre opens up a world of unlimited choices, making it more niche for the types of viewing experiences you like, ones suited to your preferences. It is on-demand, meaning you can watch what you want, when you want and how you want. One also can’t forget that high-speed fibre internet enables users to make use of so many more entertainment channels, like music services such as Spotify and Apple Music as well as gaming channels. You can stream videos and music or download as many games as you want in a month, and you don’t need to worry that you are going to run out of data. So what are you waiting for? If you’re not yet a fibre fanatic, show your interest or join the millions of others streaming their way into an entertaining and game-changing life.

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wondernet.com B E E N T E R TA I N E D 2021-2022

CONNECTING SOUTH AFRICANS, CONNECTING TO THE WORLD A story of purpose, hope and passion 2020 was certainly a year for the books, and while this new year has been no easy feat for any of us, perhaps it’s important to stop and think about what we are currently dealing with and how we are adapting, shifting our thinking and embracing new ways of living. As we look back at the past year, we are reminded of our purpose, to help connect South Africa with access to high-speed fibre. If we can be sure of anything, it’s that creating a connected nation and world is now more prevalent than ever. Many of us have had to quickly acclimatize to life at home. We’ve needed to conduct our normal business and work activity in the comfort of our home, we have had to connect with friends and family who we are not able to see in person, online. We have had to study online and sometimes shop online, as well as stay informed with the latest developments via reputable news forums and social channels. As we have not been able to go out for entertainment that easily, we have spent more time streaming shows and movies, listening to podcasts and playing online games.

It is when we look at just how important all these activities and experiences are to us, we realise how significant connectivity is in our day-to-day lives. At Vuma, we have spent the better part of the past decade striving to help connect South Africans with fast and accessible fibre. As we continue to adapt to this modified way of living, we believe that there is positivity and possibility in leading a connected lifestyle. We can move forward as a nation, in our communities and on an individual level when we are connected to the internet. The road that lies ahead can lead to digital transformation and inclusion if we work to move forward in the face of adversity. We believe that by bridging the digital divide with inclusive connectivity, we can help change the lives of many South Africans. We’re excited to think that people across South Africa can have access to an abundance of information and the knowledge that empowers them to move forward.

It’s a matter of speed Determining the right internet speed for your needs. If you’re new to the fibre game and you’re struggling to figure out which fibre package will best suit your online needs, fear not, we’ve got you covered. There are many variables to consider when making the right decision. You may need to ask yourself a few important questions to gage the right speed for your needs. On the Vuma Fibre Core network, you can enjoy speeds of up to 1 Gigabit per second. As we all use the internet on a daily basis, having access to the web is always a priority. However, there are other factors to think about. Are you an avid gamer? Do you like to stream shows and sport every day? Do you prefer streaming in 4K or ultra-high definition? How many devices do you use at home? What is your budget?

to cater for an increased viewing/gaming experience. If gamification is your thing, take into account that some games take 100GB of data to download. While you may only need 10Mbps to play the game, it will take you around 22 hours to download it before you even begin. Think about this, on a 100Mbps connection, it’ll be 10 times faster and take you a little over 2 hours. The trick is to find a happy medium, one that is budget-friendly and won’t leave you frustrated with buffering and slow download/ upload speeds.

If you’re installing fibre because you want to stream the latest shows and movies, Netflix recommends that you have a download speed of 5Mbps, particularly if you want to watch videos in high definition. The streaming service now offers some of their content in 4K or ultra-high definition, and this requires a minimum download speed of 25Mbps. Furthermore, if there are three or four people in your home who would like to stream different videos at the same time, then a 20Mbps line may be too slow. Should you want to run a cloudbacked video surveillance system on your connection, you will have to consider your options carefully. You will also need to look at what upload speed you need, not only your download speed. The speed you need for video camera systems will depend on the quality you want to stream and/or store to your cloud service of choice. It is also important to remember that as technology continues to improve, the need to accommodate these improvements will increase. You may need faster internet speeds

B E E N T E R TA I N E D 2021-2022

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Why is Vodacom Fibre a must-have for your estate? Mbps

is Data speed

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Now you can experience more of the things you love.

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For more information, call 082 1904 or visit your nearest Vodacom store. Search Vodacom Fibre

2. Improved community benefits Intra-estate calling allows residents to call family or friends in other Vodacom Fibre estates at no cost via our VoIP service. Vodacom covers Fibre installation costs, which includes the laying of Fibre cables.

Flexible Faster Plug and Terms and conditions apply. Vodacom Fibreplay price plans are area dependant. plans downloads For full terms and conditions, visit vodacom.co.za/vodacom/terms/terms-and-conditions

Terms and conditions apply. Vodacom Fibre price plans are area dependant. For full terms and conditions, visit vodacom.co.za/vodacom/terms/terms-and-conditions

B E E N T E R TA I N E D 2021-2022

Living in a fibrefuture world Freelance Technology Journalist, Nafisa Akabor, talks about the power of fibre I’ve been connected to the internet for more than half of my life. At age fifteen, in the late 90s, our household was one of the first in our suburb to have an internet connection. It was a pretty exciting time in my life; I was in high school and felt like I had an advantage when it came do doing research for school assignments. I loved handing my freshly printed work of art (from a dot matrix printer) and scoring points for presentation. I will never forget our first modem, probably a first for many early adopters in South Africa, the US Robotics 56k modem. From the sound it made, to Telkom’s R7 all weekend deal, and sneakily dialling-up using a toll-free number – well, only when my parents weren’t home – these all make up my earliest memories of being connected to the internet. I started using Google when it still had an exclamation mark on its logo, followed by other trends at the time, like IRC, Napster, Winamp, etc. I made use of mIRC, Microsoft’s chat application throughout my late teenage life and into early adulthood, which in a way shaped my life. Not only was I obsessively playing trivia or being a channel operator, but that’s where I met my husband… on the internet in 2002. Can we imagine anything like this pre-Tinder? 20

After dial-up internet, we moved on to ADSL, which I barely had a chance to experience as I moved abroad. Upon returning to SA, I ended up using what was limited to my suburb, and then onto a WiMAX connection, which was great, but the thought of fibre excited me. In 2010, Vodacom Business launched its Metro Ethernet Fibre solution, which was a big deal because they brought F1’s youngest champion at the time, Lewis Hamilton to Johannesburg to race against their internet speeds. It was a Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG with a top speed of 250km/h against 5.4GB of data, in which the data was declared the winner. Marketing stunt aside, it was our first taste of what a fibre optic connection could do. However, it was limited for businesses only. The thought of fibre in the home sounded like light years away. Fast forward to 2014, and it was Vuma that got every geek excited. I won’t forget when Vuma announced that the first homes in Parkhurst, Johannesburg had gone live on its fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) network, providing speeds of up to 1 Gbps. The future we had been waiting for had arrived. And if suburb envy was thing, it surfaced at this moment in time.

“...my house is filled with these gadgets that are connected to the internet.”

Vuma gave consumers the opportunity to sign up with any licensed provider within their suburb, thus not limiting them to one Internet Service Provider – what a joy. However, it was a long wait for me as I only got connected in July 2016.

As a technology journalist, having access to my data from anywhere or any device is essential. Especially when my hardware can easily get damaged, lost or stolen and, cloud backups are simply not feasible on mobile data plans.

Fibre has since changed my life. I started consuming media differently; I was streaming more content instead of downloading it. Being an early adopter had its advantages because between a smart TV, Apple TV, Google Chromecast, and Amazon Fire TV stick, I had loads of options.

We’ve read a lot of about the Internet of Things, and basically my house is filled with these gadgets that are connected to the internet. This includes wearable tech like fitness trackers, smartwatches, my Wi-Fi enabled coffee machine, smart speakers, light switches and a security camera.

I no longer needed to save TV series and movies on external hard drives; they became obsolete to me. I have hard drives lying at home that I haven’t touched in years.

One of the things that seems minor but has become part of my lifestyle is having a bunch of Google and Amazon smart speakers around. I’m able to control all my light switches through voice commands when I’m at home, or an app when I’m away. There’s also timers set for the outside lights.

I’m on a 50Mbps line, and thankfully costs have come down over the years. I stream everything without thinking twice about it. There’s no buffering or lag, it just works seamlessly, especially on an Apple TV. I’ve also subsequently switched my backups to the cloud. My smartphone backs up every night at midnight, and my laptop has a cloud desktop. All my legal documents are accessible from any device, be it Android, iOS, Windows or Mac. None of this would be possible if it weren’t for a fibre connection.

It’s amazing looking back at the history of the internet in South Africa to see how far we’ve come. I feel like I’m living in the future. As for what’s next, perhaps more connected appliances and maybe a home robot or two.

B E E N T E R TA I N E D 2021-2022

Why Frankie Du Toit loves his fibre

The 94.7 Radio Presenter shares his thoughts As someone who works in radio and TV, the production and consumption of media is a central part of my daily life. When thinking about how the digital landscape has changed over the past ten years, I have to look back at my first experience with digital content to truly understand the impact and magnitude that high-speed internet has played in transforming lives and technology in the world we live in today. I will never forget the movie, Independence Day, and how it was launched around the globe. Not only was it a massive big screen success, it truly pioneered digital content in the age of the internet. I can recall browsing the movie’s dedicated website for information, provided it took ten minutes to load one page. There were also games and animations created specifically for the movie - they all honestly blew my mid-90s teenage mind. Nowadays, digital content still blows my mind, and my wife will vouch for the fact that I’m a confirmed Netflix and Showmax fanatic. This is not just because I am a super fan of Games of Thrones, Stranger Things and other trendy series available via streaming, I’ll happily indulge in almost anything that Netflix prompts me to watch. I am fanatical because I have so many options to choose from and I have the choice as to when I can actually watch them. My latest obsession is documentaries, I will watch anything from science and typography to veganism and social experiments. I am even a fan of reality TV. Yes, that’s right. While some shows are coined more intellectual than others, I do indulge in my guilty pleasures from time to time. Why you may ask? Because streaming services showcase almost every niche imaginable (glass blowing contests anyone?) and yes, I’ll even spend time watching animations created specifically for children. Access to fast internet also allows us to collaborate with each other wherever we may be in the world and regardless of our talents and passions. In my lifetime, I’ve seen the way that the world has ‘shrunk’ due to the power of connectivity. On a personal level, access to fibre has meant that my production company, Rose and Oaks, can share large files without having

to physically deliver footage from remote shooting locations in time for editing. Through video calls and collaborative tools, I can work from home or from a beach in Thailand if I so desire. It means that musicians can record a track for an album and source a guitarist from any country in the world. What was once a journey that began with the basic dial-ups and brick-sized mobile phones, has become the fourth industrial revolution, making the potential for further collaboration and technological advancements, huge. The future of fibre lies in the ability to connect people and ideas. We can now learn new skills online from any location. An aspiring actor, coder, entrepreneur or accountant can simply pick up a tablet or phone and have access to the best resources and brightest minds. The connectivity that fibre has enabled, has become ingrained our daily lives. Can you think of a moment in the day when you don’t need access to some sort of technology and the internet? It has become so habitual that we don’t even notice how it influences everything we do –we’re streaming the latest show on Netflix while ordering a pizza on Uber Eats in between scrolls on Instagram. We can do so much at time these days. Fibre has created the path for us to automate our lives at every touch point, allowing for incredible efficiency and instant gratification. I have no doubt that over the next ten years we will be so far ahead of where we are now, we will look back at the innovations of today and think them antiquated. I like to imagine that I will be able to drive to my smart home from work, a house entirely powered by fibre and the internet, where a cool beer will be waiting for me on the kitchen counter as I enter the driveway. The oven is already on for dinner, the lights are set to my liking and my favourite TV show begins the moment I walk through the door. Sounds great, doesn’t it?

B E E N T E R TA I N E D 2021-2022

TO INFINITY AND BEYOND What’s coming next? If we look back over the past 20 years and think about how technology has advanced in the last two to three decades, it’s rather incredible to imagine that timeline and how quickly technology has become an integral part of our daily lives.

Do you remember the green-screen computer that started entering the home in the late eighties, becoming more mainstream and colourful in the nighties? Games such as The Super Mario Bros and Sims dominated kids’ entertainment, and Encarta was truly revolutionary for school research projects. Gone were the days of having to make space for and catalogue the hefty encyclopaedias we had become accustomed to using or sitting in the library for hours on end, looking for books related to the topics we had to study. One can’t forget the boom of the world wide web which became publicly available in 1991 and with it, the infamous dial-up connection where we eagerly anticipated connecting to a new world of information. It was a delightful experience when our computer informed us, we were now connected. Sending an email seemed like a foreign concept when one had a fax machine. Who can forget the sound it made and how excited we were to know who was sending us news? What about the first mobile phone? It was a device one couldn’t just quickly put in one’s pocket, you needed a second handbag just to carry it around. Now, we can’t imagine a world without our smart phones. Who needs a digital camera when you can beautifully capture a moment with a simple swipe on a screen? When we look back and witness the transformation of technology into our modern lives, and how we’ve embraced the ground-breaking ways in which it has transformed the world and society, it’s exciting to think what the future of emerging technologies hold. The Internet of Things is becoming more and more prevalent, enabling spaces to become smarter, equipping us with systems that allow for efficiency and ease. The use of artificial intelligence in surveillance and security, through what is called deep learning, is helping communities reduce crime, allowing authorities to respond to situations in real time. Systems are taught to monitor certain situations such as loitering for example, whereby it is flagged to a control room, and carefully observed.

The automation of cars is in the pipelines, technologydriven renewable energy is changing the landscape, and homes run entirely by the press of a button are revolutionising the at-home experience. This exciting new age has the potential to transform the world as we know it. It is thrilling to think what lies ahead.

B E E N T E R TA I N E D 2021-2022

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B E E N T E R TA I N E D 2021-2022

Corporate social investment Vuma firmly believes in going the extra mile to uplift individuals and communities. It is for this reason that we invest in creating a world of opportunity by connecting schools to digital opportunities (made possible with high-speed fibre), making people’s dreams come true, and sponsoring life-changing initiatives. The COVID-19 environment encouraged us to amplify our efforts over the past 12 months. We've partnered with some amazing non-profit organisations (NPOs) over this period to ensure vulnerable communities can access the resources and support they need. One year later, we have our network of exceptional partners to thank for enabling us to improve countless lives and give even more ordinary South Africans access to a world of extraordinary opportunities.

Spreading awareness about autism in 2021 In 2020, we were proud to join the Els for Autism Foundation in its drive to help raise funds and raise awareness for children with autism through the 2020 Els for Autism Golf Series. The foundation was started by professional South African golfer Ernie Els and his wife Liezl in 2009, following the initial shock of discovering their son has autism. The parents now dedicate themselves to making a difference for as many autistic children and their families as possible. The foundation now helps create awareness around autism and provides therapy and support for autistic children. It has placed a much-needed spotlight on autism and the need for training around the disorder. The foundation funds research into autism, its causes, and the development and delivery of treatment therapies, educational programmes, training programmes, and sports programmes, as well as residential and independent living programmes. These include global outreach programmes aimed at driving autism awareness, sharing best practice around treatment, and promoting the value, acceptance, and inclusion of people with Autism Spectrum Disorders. We’re thrilled to continue this relationship in 2021, enabling the foundation to educate even more parents, teachers, and South Africans about autism – highlighting the fact that early diagnosis could help improve the quality of life for children on the spectrum. We’ve pledged our support towards an on-going collaboration with the foundation, maximising the potential of our partnership in the effort to change lives. Initiatives like these are more than a sponsorship to us. They align with our goal to help where we can, create lasting value in the lives we touch. We want to empower South African youth through access to connectivity, which drives improved access to education and better opportunities overall.

Corporate social investment

Creating opportunities for improved healthcare Earlier in 2020, we announced our commitment to a long-term partnership with the Reach for a Dream foundation, to put smiles on the faces of hospitalised children – connecting them to an exciting and immersive virtual escape from their clinical environment. Before COVID-19, Reach for a Dream – which makes the dreams of threeto 18-year-old children fighting life-threatening illnesses come true – relied heavily on in-person experiences. This, however, was no longer safe during the pandemic, especially because many of the children in the programme already have compromised immune systems. Despite these odds, the foundation didn’t let prohibitions on visiting Dreamers in hospitals, or those bedridden at home, stop it from fulfilling dreams! Instead, it embraced the endless possibilities of virtual reality (VR) technology, using it to transport little Dreamers across the world on exciting adventures and enjoy an escape from their harsh reality. The foundation created dedicated Dream Rooms in hospitals’ paediatric sections across the country that allow children to escape from their clinical environments and enjoy a virtual getaway. Using VR headsets and a library of immersive VR video experiences, Reach for a Dream creates virtual dream days where children explore immersive experiences, like Disney World rides, swimming with dolphins, and playing with cute Labrador puppies that cuddle up with the children. “The new virtual reality platform has changed a child’s experience of their hospital admission. They now experience new adventures from the safety of their beds, which gives them something exciting to look forward to. Their excitement is tangible,” says Dr. Shaegan Irusen, Paediatric Nephrologist at Charlotte Maxeke Hospital.

The new virtual reality platform has changed a child’s experience of their hospital admission. They now experience new adventures from the safety of their beds, which gives them something exciting to look forward to.

Our goal is to help the foundation fulfil even more dreams for the children. To do this, we will be continuing our sponsorship of this meaningful initiative, finding ways to overcome new and historic hurdles, to create special opportunities for Dreamers. Our goal is to ensure as many Dreamers as possible will have their wishes fulfilled as the initiative expands throughout 2021, and into the foreseeable future.

Dr. Shaegan Irusen B E E N T E R TA I N E D 2021-2022

Joining the fight against cancer On World Cancer Day, 4 February, we had the privilege of working with PinkDrive NPC as a key sponsor, helping to provide over 200 Chatsworth community members with free screening for gender-related cancers, HIV/Aids, TB, diabetes, and COVID-19 in mobile health units set up at the RK Khan Hospital. The collaborative effort provided free medical screening and education to community members using mobile health units resembling doctors’ rooms on wheels. Community members could access a state-of-the-art gynaecology area for pap smears and examinations, a reception area for administration, and a radiology area. We were able to tackle two of the most prevalent female cancers on the day – breast cancer and cervical cancer – by offering cervical screening, mammograms, and clinical breast examinations, while men could undergo Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) screening for prostate cancer. The partnership with PinkDrive addressed the impact that COVID-19 had on South Africans’ ability to be screened for communicable and non-communicable disease. We are thrilled to have played our part in allowing more South Africans to access mammograms, gender-related cancer screening, education, and additional services to improve their lives. “An estimated 105 000 South Africans are diagnosed with cancer each year. This is an exceptionally high number of people who, without access to screening facilities, would otherwise only get diagnosed once their cancer reached its advanced stages, and treatment is more difficult,” says Noelene Kotschan, CEO and Founder of PinkDrive. “The funding from Vuma has allowed us to use our mobile health units to continue prolonging lives through the prevention of illness and disease, and by promoting healthy lifestyles.” We will continue sponsoring PinkDrive and its efforts to provide screening services and education to communities throughout the country, empowering the organisation to reach more South Africans in rural, township, and semi-urban areas.

The partnership with PinkDrive addressed the impact that COVID-19 had on South Africans’ ability to be screened for communicable and non-communicable disease.

105 000 South Africans are diagnosed with cancer each year

Corporate social investment

Paying homage to the vibrant history of the Cape Flats The low-lying Cape Flats community, just north of Cape Town, is overflowing with a rich culture and captivating stories that make up its vibrant history. We've had the privilege of bringing this history to life through the sponsorship of the YWise Up Museum. The museum aims to transform the Cape Flats community, starting at a grassroots level. The YWise Up Museum, led by the Young Men’s Christian Association (the YMCA), is disrupting the cycle of trauma and violence usually associated with the Cape Flats by shifting the narrative and highlighting the rich and vibrant history of the District Six community and its people. The museum takes visitors on a journey through the history of the Cape Flats, depicting life in District Six, the devastation caused by the forced removals and displacement of communities during Apartheid. It features three rooms, each with its own unique and gripping story. The rooms are a depiction of choice, identity, testimony, pain, heroism, and hope. The museum’s priority is supporting the young people of the Cape Flats by offering a prevention and awareness programme to vulnerable and at-risk youth in the community who need support. We’re proud to have been part of the development of the YWise Up Museum initiative. Through our collective efforts, we have helped empower people in the community through access to resources that will help them see and find opportunities, which is a massive priority for Vuma and the reason why this project is so close to our hearts.

B E E N T E R TA I N E D 2020 1-2021 2

200 children fed in the community

50 handbags donated

+50 lunches

Extending a helping hand to all corners of SA Much like our efforts to connect all corners of the country to high-speed fibre internet, we set out to help as many underserved communities in South Africa as possible in 2020 and 2021.

Staying within the region, our Mitchells fibre team visited Hannah’s Place of Safety in Westridge, Mitchells Plain. The organisation provides a safe space for newborn babies, from three-to-six months, that have been abandoned, abused, or neglected. The place of safety has been in existence for four years, and more than 70 children have gone through its doors.

Our efforts in Johannesburg saw us partner with Soweto-based organisation, Ikageng, which focuses on realising social change through health, nutrition, education, and social services using a community development approach.

It is moving to see what the workers go through every day to ensure that the babies are cared for, especially considering the facility relies on donations. It’s for this reason that our Mitchells fibre team was happy to assist by donating essential items to assist Hannah's Place of Safety during the festive season.

We've helped the organisation provide a meal for children that come out of abusive homes – working with Ikageng School in Orlando West to feed over 200 children in the community. We also donated 50 handbags to the Bags of Hope organisation in Johannesburg North to give hope and dignity to women in need. The organisation turns donated handbags into comfort bags that contain items like tissues, lipstick, sanitary towels, deodorant, wet wipes, notepads, and pens. We then shifted our focus to the community of Ekurhuleni on Mandela Day – providing a lunch hand out to over 50 car guards stationed around various malls in Vosloorus. We also sponsored the Mr and Mrs Vosloo beauty competition, which aimed to empower youth in the community, as well as provided PPE to the Home Sweet Home and Dzulani Children's homes in the community. The donations helped protect around 100 children and staff during the height of the pandemic. The national lockdown was challenging for animals, as much as it was for humans. Realising the need to support animal shelters in the Western Cape during strict lockdown regulations, we partnered with Fallen Angels Pet Rescue – an NPO focused on the rescue, rehabilitation, and rehoming of domestic animals. We contributed 200 bags of dog food to the Fallen Angel’s Animal Shelter to fill the void that limited human contact had on the organisation. 32

handed out to car guards

KwaZulu-Natal is known for its spectacular beaches, warm waters, and long stretches of sand. To preserve this beauty, we partnered with the Durban Scouts this year, a group of children who are part of the Natal Yacht Club involved in the community, offering their assistance wherever they can. The partnership saw Vuma volunteers help the scouts clean out all the plastic from the Durban Harbour after washing in with the tides. We also donated branded hand sanitisers and masks to all members who participated in the clean-up. Staying in the region, we jumped on board the annual PinkDrive and More Balls Than Most golf day on World Cancer Day to support both organisations in creating awareness and raising funds for the cause. We used this platform to educate both men and women participating in the golf day. We also donated two prizes for the Longest Drive Competition and The Closest to the Hole Competition. We’ll continue reaching out to underserved communities, fur-friends in need and partnering with organisations aimed at preserving our beautiful country – extending our national footprint, one region at a time.

Corporate social investment

Creating employment opportunities for SA’s youth It's our responsibility to protect our children and their future by ensuring they're employable and have opportunities to empower themselves to reach for the extraordinary. Sadly, for some of the country’s youth, their daily reality involves leaving school each day and entering unsafe, violent neighbourhoods and homes without adult supervision – exposing them to risky environments, drug and alcohol abuse and even gangs. To help youth overcome these circumstances, we have partnered with Safe Hub in Jabulani Soweto. This is a safe facility where children can access after-school programmes, and through our collaboration with Safe Hub we are enabling 13 learners in Alex to access a programme with Playmakers. The programme enrols 13 young people each year, between the ages of 19 and 25, in a 12-month learnership at a Safe Hub in their community. These youth then work with the young children at the Safe Hub facility, implementing various programmes to empower them while gaining valuable work experience to make them employable. PlayMakers participate in a range of learning opportunities over the 12 months, including obtaining a further education and training certificate in sports administration at NQF level four (learnership). Additionally, PlayMakers participate in selected modules of the further education and training certificate in Child and Youth Care Work and complete their learnership with sports administration certificates, referee certifications, and other professional development achievements. Young PlayMakers play an integral role in fostering a healthy learning environment for children at the Safe Hub facilities – in turn empowering the next generation of PlayMakers.

13 young people enrolled each year

B E E N T E R TA I N E D 2020 1-2021 2

Connecting learners to digital opportunities in the classroom Amid the disruption, the national lockdown has also presented an opportunity for learners, their parents, and educators to adjust to the idea of online learning, through access to online resources which can bolster the curriculum taught in schools. Capitalising on this opportunity, we partnered with iSchool Africa in 2020 to hand over nine digital libraries across South Africa. The hand over was made possible by a Guinness World Record-setting event where Saray Khumalo, the first black African woman to conquer Mount Everest, along with a team of cyclists, partners, and supporters, raised money over an eight-hour stationary cycling fundraiser. We raised more than R704 000 for digital literacy, with the group cycling 5 040km in eight hours to help change the education narrative and allow our youth to be the best they can be. “We owe our success to the partners, school leaders, communities, teachers, and learners who joined us on our journey to transform South Africa's education system," says Michelle Lissoos, Executive Director of iSchoolAfrica. "We realise that we can bridge the education gap for learners by providing them with devices, data, and quality educational resources that uplift them to achieve greatness in the future.” Every iSchoolAfrica school receives a digital library consisting of a secure mobile iPad lab containing 20 traded-in iPads, which can be moved from classroom to classroom without any complex infrastructure required. These labs allow learners to use the globally chosen education tools for schools, containing curriculum-aligned content and applications like the global award-winning OneBillion numeracy software. iSchoolAfrica also offers the #EveryoneCanCode curriculum – a full coding continuum for Grade 1-12 learners, from block-based coding to app development. The devices also have powerful built-in assistive features to help children with disabilities such as autism, visual impairment, deafness, cerebral palsy, and dyslexia. iSchoolAfrica’s initiative extends beyond technology and empowers teachers with South African Council for Educators (SACE) endorsed training and mentorship. An iSchoolAfrica facilitator specialising in education technology integration is also appointed to each school and works closely with teachers, ensuring ongoing professional development and skills transfer. The programme has also trained more than 200 youth in journalism through the iSchoolAfrica press team programme and 200 youth as educational facilitators in their communities.

We owe our success to the partners, school leaders, communities, teachers, and learners who joined us on our journey to transform South Africa’s education system.

+200 youth trained in journalism

200 youth trained as education facilitators

Corporate social investment

Empowering young girls through technology 20 girls in underserved communities sponsored

Much like Vuma, the Girl Code NPO strongly believes in the diversity and inclusivity of underserved communities in the ICT space and does everything possible to let the world know that anyone can learn how to code and become a programmer.

A notable divide persists between men and women with regards to internet access and the opportunities it can be used for. According to the United Nations, the proportion of women using the internet is lower than that of men in two thirds of the world’s countries. Technology can empower women to get involved in development and leadership roles across industries, which creates more successful and diverse companies in the future. This realisation guided us to sponsor the impactful Girl Code initiative, the Girl Coder Club. The Girl Coder Club is an after school online girls’ club/ sponsorship programme for 20 primary and high school girls in underserved communities interested in pursuing STEM-related careers. The opportunity was presented to four principals (from four Vuma schools in Soweto) to enable learners to go through this scholarship. Not only does Girl Code monitor each learner’s progress as they embark on their coding journey, but they also support the learners with devices and connectivity where needed. We realise that initiatives like these, which focus on providing skills and resources to young women, have become a necessity, especially within the schooling system. The demand for coding skills is increasing and, together with Girl Code, we aim to provide a long-term solution to the growing technology talent shortage in the country, especially among women.

B E E N T E R TA I N E D 2021-2022

Creating an uninterrupted learning experience We realise that accessing digital learning opportunities requires a reliable internet connection in the home and classroom to ensure an uninterrupted learning experience. To make this possible, we have connected every registered primary and high school we pass when deploying the network to free 1Gbps fibre broadband internet through our Fibre to Schools project. Since its launch in 2015, we, together with our Internet Service Provider partners, have connected over 420 schools, empowering more than 320 000 young people and teachers with access to the boundless opportunities of the internet. The shift towards online learning is a positive step towards integrating digital technology into schools’ curriculums and preparing learners for future jobs. Vuma’s Fibre to Schools programme is gradually making its way into more schools around the country as institutions expand curriculums to include e-learning initiatives and bring classrooms into the digital era. “When Vuma arrived to connect our school, we were very excited, as was the whole of the Brackenfell community,” says Wendy Horn at Protea Heights Academy. “Having access to the internet has changed the way we do things at our school. Every classroom has Wi-Fi, every child can use the internet, and we’re able to use that to integrate what we do in the classroom with the real world.”

420 schools connected

+320 000 young people and teachers empowered

Internet access enables young minds to think about the future. By digitising our education sector, we can ensure both learners and educators have better access to information and that young people enter the world of work equipped with skills that are increasingly in high demand across a range of sectors in South Africa. Our Fibre to Schools programme continues to support the vision of connecting classrooms to the digital era and pledges to continue providing schools on our existing deployment route with a free 1Gbps fibre connection to enable more learners to continue receiving an education during and post the national lockdown. By working together with volunteers and NPOs, Vuma has realised its vision to enable South Africans to access more opportunities and essential services, achieve their dreams, and connect to a world of opportunities.

Corporate social investment

Prioritising the safe return of learners and teachers to schools The country’s education system has not been immune to the impact of COVID-19. Schools were disrupted during the nationwide lockdown, preventing countless learners from attending classes due to safety concerns.

To protect learners when schools reopened in 2020, we donated reusable face masks to over ten schools around the country, allowing schools like Sparrow Schools in Melville and Sophiatown to protect over 1 000 learners because of the initiative.

“The masks donated to us by Vuma were put to good use at our school, and our kids are proud to wear them,” says Mr Chris Coetzee, Principal at Roodepark School in Johannesburg. “It’s good to have a company that’s so involved in helping the school and our community as a whole.”

+1 000 learners protected

Our decision to donate face masks to these schools is motivated by our mantra of ‘if we can, we must’ – the golden thread that aligns with our goal of making fast, reliable fibre services accessible to as many people in South Africa as possible.

B E E N T E R TA I N E D 2020 1-2021 2

Enabling ordinary people to do extraordinary things

@vumatel 38

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