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Children in South Africa sell the Wi-Fi key of their schools to be able to eat
Mobile internet service is expensive in South Africa, leading children to rent Wi-Fi networks from their schools to get some money for food
Minors in South Africa rent the Wi-Fi network of their schools to the inhabitants who are 6 kilometers away, a clear example of how expensive it is to acquire internet service in the country.
Children living in poverty do not have access to internet service at home, but they do have it at their schools. From there, the children rent to nearby residents who also do not have internet service at home or on their phones.
A report by Rest Of World indicates that children sell the Wi-Fi password for between 70 cents and a dollar, money that they use to buy food.
Good motivations
Educational centers in South Africa have free internet access for students and teachers, unlike the inhabitants of localities who cannot afford the high costs of the service.
South Africa is positioned as one of the best countries on the continent in terms of telecommunications, but it is also considered the nation with the most inequalities on the planet.
The most deprived families have an average income of 37 dollars per month, while the 4G internet service for mobile phones has an approximate value of 32 dollars per month.
The investigations show the case of a 13-year-old minor who lives in the city of Duduza, 56 kilometers from the capital Johannesburg.
This study indicates that the child, is an average day, can get up to 4 dollars.
Duduza is home to Tandi Eleanor Sibeko (TES) High School and Asser Maloka High School, both with free internet access, and passwords are sold by students at both schools.
Some inhabitants of nearby towns, where there are no schools or public connectivity, walk more than 6 kilometers to connect to the Wi-Fi network of one of these two educational centers.
This has brought two clear consequences, it has been used to violate the cybersecurity of schools and navigation has become very unstable and sometimes even impossible to navigate.
