Unlocking the potential of Information and Communication Technologies in rural South Africa : the case of Tshidilamolomo village Thusong service centre

Abstract

This study looked at the Thusong Service Centre in Tshidilamolomo which was established by the government of South Africa with the intention of bringing integrated services within reach of these rural communities. This centre has ICT telecentre built inside with the primary aim of providing ICT services to the Tshidilamolomo communities, particularly the youth, and to bridge the distance and digital divide between these villagers and their urban based counterparts. The method of research used by this research include both the focus group and unstructured interview. Some of the findings showed that the rolling out of ICTs in rural Tshidilamolomo was done haphazardly and without proper consultation of the communities. From the empirical study conducted, it is very apparent that there is a dearth of information about the existing Thusong ICT telecentres and it is strongly recommended that a detailed survey of them be carried out to establish their current status, potential future, short and medium term needs. This study draws from the Participatory Communication through Freire's notion of dialogue and Rogers' Diffusion of Innovation theories to investigate the use of the ICT services harboured at the Tshdidilamolomo telecentre and whether the centre serves its anticipated purpose.