Palesa Ramolefo

Youth in Business and Entrepreneurship

Nominee's Province:
Gauteng

Age:
25

Project Name/Description:
Amandla.mobi

More info:
https://www.instagram.com/palesa_everyday/

In a country facing unacceptably high youth unemployment, access to the internet is crucial so youngsters can access information about opportunities, but data is expensive. In a world turned upside down by a deadly pandemic, learning has moved online, but data is expensive, meaning that learners from low-income households are shut out. This is the central struggle in the life of Ramolefo, a 25-year-old journalism graduate who is one of the leaders at amandla.mobi, an organisation that challenges South African mobile network operators to significantly reduce costs of data for the benefit of all citizens, particularly those living in marginalised communities. The organisation runs the #DataMustFall campaign, which has been somewhat effective in forcing mobile network operators to drop their data pricing. Ramolefo, who has long been a community activist in Soweto, joined the #DataMustFall campaign in 2019 and works closely with Koketso Moeti, the originator of the movement. For her, the campaign is about closing the inequality gap in our society, about feeling the pain of others. “If those who can afford these high prices are complaining, imagine people who are low-income earners or people who don’t earn anything at all,” says Ramolefo. “We cannot keep exacerbating the inequality gap in an unequal country like ours, especially when it comes to accessing basic needs.” The fight for fair data pricing has a David-and-Goliath tinge to it. Ramolefo says her organisation has had to deal with a “backlash from mobile network operators and their resistance to lowering data prices. They intimidated and discouraged us every chance they got.” Ramolefo urges other young South Africans to be active in their communities so they can effect change. “Young people in Mzansi being engaged in community politics means we are a step closer to being involved at the decision-making table. We need more young people with fresh and dynamic ideas and solutions to the problems we are currently facing.”