With the cost of data known as a barrier to digital access, Sebenza, a free wi-fi platform, is leading the charge in offering thousands of commuters the opportunity to stay connected while travelling to their desired destinations.
The wi-fi connection is available in over 7,500 taxis across South Africa today and has a total registered user base of over 4 million.
Spokesperson for Sebenza Mayi Tshwete highlights the fundamental features of the platform, outlining a few benefits that commuters can take advantage of to improve their travel experience.
Maintaining relationships with friends and family, applying for employment opportunities by browsing various news platforms and having complete access to online educational resources are all examples of this.
Tshwete said, “Sebenza is a way of life. This is where we support local content creators and product developers through deep partnerships that accelerate user numbers while granting access to information and entertainment to the user at their fingertips.
“We use incentivised call-to-actions to reward users with Sebenza Bucks, availing a broad range of value through bandwidth and content to commuters as they engage more deeply on the platform. This makes their commute far more enjoyable. We firmly believe no one should be left behind in an increasingly digital world.
“It's not about the numbers. It's about making access to data possible. We look ahead to 2024 with hope and optimism to connect people to digital products and services that elevate their daily commute.”
Robyn Nel, Brand Manager at Sebenza, explains: “With integrated location-based mobile advertising and products, commuters are receiving content relevant to where they are at that moment, making it easier to connect to experiences and brands. We also have hybrid opportunities where our team can further brand engagement at taxi ranks through hyper-targeted activations.”
Furthermore, commuters can win prizes, which adds to the intrigue of the experience. A three-month campaign competition, called Khomba, Khonnecta, Sebenza, is described, with weekly prizes of R2,000 to be given out and a grand prize of R50,000 to be won at the end.
To be eligible to compete, commuters only need to sign up for Sebenza during their subsequent bus or taxi ride; simply look for the stickers that say ‘free wi-fi Sebenza’."
This campaign's name is a playful homage to the distinctive hand signals used in South Africa and is derived from the Zulu word “khomba", which is slang for hailing a taxi. When hailing a taxi, commuters usually use various hand signals to indicate their destination.
Saturday Star
anita.nkonki@inl.co.za