Digital divide in Gauteng

The GCRO “Map of the Month: Digital Divide in Gauteng” data story examines how access to home internet connections is unevenly distributed across the Gauteng City‑Region and closely linked to race, household income, and location. Using data from the Quality of Life Survey 7 (2023/24), the analysis maps ward‑level access to fibre and other forms of home internet and shows that more than half of households have no home internet connection, with the lowest access concentrated in townships and peripheral, low‑income areas that are predominantly black African. The story highlights how this digital divide constrains access to education, employment, and economic opportunity, reinforcing existing social inequalities, and argues that without targeted policy interventions to expand affordable and reliable connectivity, Gauteng’s digital transformation risks deepening exclusion rather than supporting inclusive growth.

Abstract based on original source.