For many South African learners, the greatest barrier to success is not ability, ambition or effort—it is poor connectivity.
This reality sits alongside a moment of national pride, following the announcement of South Africa’s strongest-ever matric results, with a historic 88% pass rate in the 2025 National Senior Certificate exams.
Vuyani Jarana, CEO of Ilitha Telecommunications, argues that unless South Africa treats affordable digital access as a basic right, the country will continue to lose generations of potential.
“Education is the key that allows the next generation to leapfrog their parents’ opportunities,” says Jarana.
“The matric results show what is possible when learners are supported—but for too many children, poor connectivity, not poor ability, is what still stands between them and a better future.”
Jarana’s own schooling years reflect the structural realities faced by many young people today.
“My father was a mineworker. We only saw him for a few weeks in December, but he wrote letters home and sent me magazines and anything he could find to help with English and mathematics,” he recalls.
“When my father died in the middle of my matric exams, there was no one to support the household. I had university admission and had applied for bursaries, but I told my mother I had to leave school and find a job.
“I got a job at the post office, and fortunately, they saw something in me and invested in me.
Similarly, by the time I joined Vodacom, I was fortunate to be coached and mentored. That said, I completed my tertiary studies via correspondence.
Connectivity is a gateway to the world
His story is not unusual—and he believes that in today’s digital world, meaningful connectivity could prevent thousands of similar ones and make it much easier for people to fit education into the realities of their lives.
“These families have children who want to be doctors, scientists, and engineers. Some are the only hope for the future sustainability of their household.
“If we leave them out, we condemn another generation to poverty and risk undoing the progress we are beginning to see.”
Connectivity is the gateway to the world: it is an enabler in education, healthcare, job creation, communication, entertainment and even security.
But in education in particular, its impact is transformative, leapfrogging the constraints of rural classrooms and constrained educational budgets, taking learners beyond their classrooms to a world of content, learning models and opportunity.
Meaningful broadband access—fast, stable, affordable, and available at home—gives learners the ability to:
- research school projects,
- access revision material,
- watch and rewatch online lessons to learn in their own time or cement learning from the classroom
- download past papers,
- use digital learning tools, and
- Stay engaged when schools close, transport fails, or teachers rely on online platforms.
As recent matric results have shown, performance is improving across many no-fee and township schools, but without reliable home connectivity, too many learners still struggle to sustain that momentum outside the classroom.
“The digital economy isn’t just about connectivity; it’s about the opportunities that come with it,” says Jarana.
“When there are disparities in connectivity, opportunities are lost. Those communities will never be fully active in the economy.”
Communities must be digitized
Government programmes, such as SA Connect, are beginning to create anchor infrastructure by connecting schools, clinics, and other state facilities.
Jarana welcomes these efforts but says the next step is critical.
“Universities can’t simply offer digital courses; they need to digitize the communities from which learners come. Without fiber to the home, remote learning remains out of reach for many,” he says.
The same principle applies to primary and secondary schooling: digitizing the classroom is not enough without digitizing the household, where learning must continue.
Connectivity should not force a trade-off between a child studying online and a family accessing everyday digital services.
High smartphone penetration means most learners already have a capable device. What they lack is affordable, meaningful connectivity.
Research by the Bureau for Economic Research highlights that expensive, metered mobile data restricts educational use, while affordable home fiber expands access to online learning, educational content, and skills development.
Traditional broadband models do not work in townships or rural communities, where income levels vary widely.
This is why Ilitha’s fractional-use model—which allows households to buy connectivity in smaller, flexible increments—has been central to its rollout.
“We need models that reflect the realities of the communities we serve,” according to Jarana.
“Connectivity opens the door for people to create their own solutions. We have seen learners studying degrees online, young people taking remote jobs, and even rural families using internet-enabled cameras to monitor their kraals and homes when they return to the city.”
Put education at the centre of digital inclusion
Jarana stresses that digital infrastructure investment must be viewed through a 10–15 year lens, especially in education.
“Digital infrastructure unlocks opportunities, but you must take a long-term view. Government needs to do more of these initiatives if we want a more equal society.”
He believes that connectivity is as foundational to South Africa’s future as electricity and water were in decades past.
As South Africa accelerates its digital transformation agenda through SA Connect, the B20/G20 processes, and provincial broadband strategies, Jarana urges policymakers and private-sector leaders to put education at the centre of digital inclusion.
“Internet access is a basic human right that can either bridge or exacerbate inequality. If we want the gains reflected in the 2025 matric results to translate into long-term opportunity, affordable, meaningful home connectivity must become part of education reform.”
