Zenzeleni (which means "Do it yourself" in isiXhosa) is a community-owned wireless internet service provider based in rural South Africa. It offers quality, high-speed internet comparable to the country’s most developed urban centres. Its model aims to significantly cut costs of telecommunications, retain expenditure within communities as a form of social entrepreneurship, and support the development of a rural digital ecosystem towards bridging the digital divide.
While Zenzeleni is rooted in communities, it also engages actively with the wider telecommunications and digital innovation sectors in advocating for meaningful policy, the right to access, digital equity, service equality and diversity of expression. It has also created strategic partnerships which have been critical in getting community networks recognised as mechanisms for positive change and connectivity in South Africa, throughout Africa and internationally.
