resources across the planet. Teilhard de Chardin believed that this represented 'a new stage in evolution, one marked by the capacity for deep spiritual and intellectual experience' (Cobb 1998: 42). This movement to greater unity of mind, body and spirit seems to be what Paul attempts to explain in his letter to the Ephesians '...until we all reach unity in faith and knowledge of the Son of God and form the perfect Man, fully mature with the fullness of Christ himself (Eph 4: 13). It is also for this unity which Jesus himself prays: 'May they all be one, just as, Father, you are in me and I am in you' (John 17: 21). The media therefore, and specifically the internet, which drive globalisation would also, in Teilhard de Chardin's view, be drawing humanity and creation into the unity which he saw and the oneness Jesus himself prays for.
I will now give a short analysis of internet usage in South Africa followed by a summary of the research I conducted. I attempt to understand better what it is people are seeking on the internet and what people think should be available on the internet so as to help them begin to realise this unity and hence facilitate the sharing of ideas, values, purpose and resources. I would also like to note, at this point, that the research I have conducted has only been done amongst those with access to the internet. For those (and this is a minority) who have access the internet is used widely. Many more people do not use the internet as they simply do not have access.
Gillwald. These countries included: Botswana, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Ghana, Namibia, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia.
The report found that although the South African telecommunications sector continued to grow above the national economic growth rate, it is not operating optimally, and is in fact very expensive. The report says that the success of the mobile telephone industry appears to have come at the cost of a 'data divide' between those with access to the internet and the benefits it provides, and those without access (: 132). The report says that, in 2004, internet penetration seems to have reached a plateau, which is the standard path of technological adaption. In 2004 an estimated 6% of the population had internet access;
that amounts to about 1,1 million people (:133). The report claims that the effective doubling of costs by Telkom, the telecommunications operator in South Africa, since privatisation has had a huge impact on the cost of internet services in South Africa.
Compared to other low middle income countries, South Africa does not have a broadband market, because costs remain so high. The report notes that ADSL costs in South Africa are 139% higher than the average price of countries surveyed (:150). The report says that Telkom's pricing structure is excessive (: 134).
The report claimed that there were only 981 collective access internet points in South Africa in 2004; these points included post offices, digital villages and telecentres. The report says:
With fixed line prices so high, cyber cafes have not penetrated throughout the country, with two of South Africa's nine provinces without any commercial access points. The high price of fixed line access translates into an average cost per hour in commercial cyber cafes of around R27 (:134).
In Tanzania internet access in cyber cafes costs about 1500TSH5 per hour, which amounts to about R8,79; in Lusaka, Zambia (which is considered to have an expensive telecommunications market) the cost is 6,000ZMK which is about R 10,78; in the
5 http://www.world66.com/africa/tanzania/internetcafes (Accessed 6 January 2008).
Copperbelt the price averages 18,000ZMK per hour which converts to about R32,34 (:187). Ethiopians pay on average Birr 0.20-0.35 a minute in cyber cafes, the charge per hour is on average US$2.1 which converts into R14.11 (:71). Connell (2004:22) says that, in Argentina, internet access costs about 1,5 pesos per hour which translates into about R3,20.
The report goes on to reveal that only 5.7% of South Africans have email addresses compared to 11.2% in Argentina, 7.28% in Turkey and 9.84% in Poland, which are also all classified as low middle-income countries. Uptake of the internet is much more limited than mobile phones and reflects the poor access that many South Africans have to the internet. The use of cyber cafes is low because of availability, cost and poor, slow equipment which makes the access slow and therefore more expensive (2005:146).
Most users have access to the internet at school or at work. The report claims that there is a common consensus that access to the internet is important for work and career purposes and that the most common users of the internet are younger people (:147). The report says
... South Africans value communications services and are willing to pay an extraordinary high price for them, pricing clearly remains an inhibiting factor, both with regard to ownership and usage (: 148).
The report calls for a policy perspective in the telecommunications industry because, without one, it says that the new digital divide will develop further between those with access and those without to the internet (:148).
The low internet usage statistics are grounded in the perception that the internet is a high cost medium which is inefficient, and hence the report claims that Telkom's monopoly has negatively impacted on internet usage and the stagnant number of subscribers (:150).
This, it says, has directly affected the fact that the mobile sector is so large and many more people have and use mobile phones.
It is therefore clear that internet access in South Africa is extremely expensive and therefore internet usage is low at present. This will probably only change when competition is introduced into the South African telecommunications market. It is interesting to note that internet costs are comparatively much higher than that of other African countries as well.
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