Sebenza Wi-Fi, the free connectivity service used by two million South African commuters annually, is accelerating its expansion through a strategic partnership with Toyota. This collaboration will see Sebenza hotspots pre-installed into all new Toyota Quantum taxis, streamlining the rollout of internet access across the country’s public transport network.
Read: Epson CO-W01 Projector Review: Project Success
Speaking at an event in Johannesburg, Sebenza CEO Wesley Dorning attributed the company’s success to its sustainable value-exchange model, which benefits commuters, drivers, owners, and taxi associations. Currently, Sebenza operates in 7,500 taxis and roughly a thousand buses. Users earn “Sebenza Bucks” by engaging with content, watching advertising, or taking surveys, which they then use to access free Wi-Fi.
The technology is robust: the router in each taxi can support up to 50 connected devices with speeds averaging between 30Mbit/s and 50Mbit/s. Drivers receive the added benefit of continuous home connectivity through the service, which Dorning noted has helped their children with homework.
Previously, Sebenza had customized its installation process to minimize vehicle downtime to just 10 minutes, a crucial factor for driver buy-in. The new partnership with Toyota simplifies this further, turning the process into a remote, activation-only step once the South African National Taxi Association (Santaco) grants approval for its members’ vehicles. Dorning emphasized that this allows Sebenza to scale nationally and connect more commuters seamlessly.
See also
Santaco spokeswoman Rebecca Phala highlighted the importance of this initiative as a foundation for broader industry modernization, including the future introduction of digital payment and tag-based loading systems. Phala stated that by embracing modernity and partnering with experts like Sebenza, the taxi industry is demonstrating its willingness to “move with the times” and embrace the digital era, accelerating progress that Santaco could not achieve alone. The overall plan aims to expand connectivity to more of the country’s 250,000 taxis.
Communications Minister Solly Malatsi praised the initiative for filling a significant connectivity gap for commuters and urged Sebenza to focus on providing educational and skilling tools to help users productively engage with the digital economy.
