ABSTRACT
After the year 2010, big cities in South Africa started introducing free data programmes. The interventions are commendable because they are in sync with the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 11, i.e. of building sustainable cities/communities. The main question tackled by the study was to establish the extent to which the Tshwane free municipal Wi-Fi is assisting citizens to realize improvements on the right to the city, good governance, and enhanced service delivery. The researchers used a case study research design, qualitative in nature. Primary and secondary data sources were used. Fifty residents responded to a randomly administered online survey. The survey results were analyzed by categorical aggregation and content analysis. The study finds that the residents feel that the Tshwane free Wi-Fi is making some positive impact on their lives. The authors recommend that the city explore innovative funding/revenue monetization models to make free Wi-Fi financially sustainable.
