54% of Gauteng Households Lack Home Internet as Race and Income Gaps Sharpen Divide
Updated
Updated · The Conversation · Jun 7
54% of Gauteng Households Lack Home Internet as Race and Income Gaps Sharpen Divide
1 articles · Updated · The Conversation · Jun 7
Summary
Quality of Life Survey 7 found 54% of Gauteng households had no home internet in 2023/24, leaving fewer than half with a fixed or home-based connection.
The divide tracks inequality: only 39% of black African respondents had home internet, versus 87% of Indian/Asian and 86% of white respondents; just 20% of the lowest-income households were connected.
Access also varies sharply by place, with more than 80% of households connected in Centurion, Midrand and Randburg, but under 20% in parts of Mamelodi, Sebokeng and Daveyton.
Smartphone ownership reached 85%, yet mobile access is costlier and less useful for remote work or online learning; 25% of households with a computer, laptop or tablet still lacked home internet.
The researcher said Gauteng's digital future will remain unequal unless public-private partnerships expand affordable, reliable coverage beyond high-demand suburbs.
How much economic potential is Gauteng losing daily by keeping half its households offline?
Is Gauteng's digital map just redrawing the old lines of apartheid-era inequality?
With government promises unfulfilled, can grassroots networks truly connect Gauteng's forgotten communities?
Digital Exclusion in Gauteng: 2023/24 Survey Reveals 54% of Households Without Home Internet Access
Overview
The Gauteng City-Region Observatory (GCRO) Quality of Life (QoL) Survey is a key tool for understanding digital exclusion in Gauteng. Conducted every two years, this survey collects detailed demographic and socio-economic data, helping policymakers, businesses, and civil society track progress and spot challenges. The latest QoL 7 (2023/24) surveyed nearly 14,000 adults, using a carefully designed sample to represent all of Gauteng’s 529 wards. This approach ensures reliable findings, making the survey a trusted resource for identifying digital access gaps and guiding efforts to bridge the digital divide in the province.