Project Isizwe, the non-profit responsible for building a free Wi-Fi network in greater Pretoria, has established new hotspots in the Western Cape, it said on Friday.

Commuters at the busy Gugulethu and Khayelitsha taxi ranks near Cape Town will have access to free Wi-Fi through an initiative between Project Isizwe and the Open Society Foundation of South Africa.

Project Isizwe works with various partners to bring free Wi-Fi to public places in low-income communities.

The project’s chief operating officer, Zahir Khan, said low-income communities have the most to gain from Internet access, but are often excluded due to high data costs. “Free Wi-Fi networks in low-income communities are one of the most effective means to bridge the digital divide and ensure equal opportunity for all.

“For too many people in South Africa, using the Internet has turned into a privilege, when it should be a right,” Khan said. “We hope that this project will galvanise a nationwide call for free and subsidised Internet for all people living in South Africa in under-resourced communities.

Open Society Foundation executive director Fatima Hassan said: “The project is by no means a comprehensive solution to the bigger issues of affordability and accessibility of the Internet for ordinary South Africans — this requires collaboration between government and private companies that ordinarily provide such services, coupled with a strong policy framework that enables affordable access on a permanent basis.” — © 2015 NewsCentral Media