[Johannesburg, 14 July 2006] -
iBurst will establish 20 000 Internet cafés by 2010, with 1 000 planned for the next couple of months, the company says.The process will begin in August, with 100 cafés being built in Soweto and expanding to other townships where iBurst already has coverage, says CEO Thami Mtshali. Each café will have four to six computers per connection and up to 30 computers per café, he adds.The cafés will offer Web services, such as e-mail and Internet access, at R5 for a 30-minute session. Voice over Internet-based call services will also be offered, with international calls costing from 40c per minute, he says.Intermediate solution
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Thami Mtshali, CEO of iBurst. |
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Mtshali says the project will operate on a “preferred partnership model” with Tradepage, an independent Internet service provider. Local entrepreneurs can expect to invest a minimum of R30 000 for a fully-equipped café.Rudolph Muller, founder of MyADSL, says Internet cafés are an effective intermediate solution to address the challenges created by low PC penetration rates and lack of affordable Internet access.“An unemployed graduate just wants to take his R5, walk to the Internet café up the road and send a hundred CVs to potential employers during a session. Then he wants to come back the following day with another R5 to check if there have been any responses,” Mtshali says.Tebogo Khaas, chairman of the SMME Forum, says while most Internet service providers tend to shy away from townships and rural areas, these areas have been identified as key to contributing to SA's economic goals.Related stories:
iBurst increases coverage
Cafés create online banking headache
PC industry eyes emerging market
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