Female entrepreneurs in Mzansi are being stifled not because of a lack of skill set but by poor network signals that stifle their growth in the rural parts of this beautiful country. The findings are linked to research being conducted by Moropa Site Solutions a locally-owned, independent tower operator. Research has found that many female entrepreneurs are vulnerable in emergencies as well as being left behind in the digital economy.
Female entrepreneurs losing out
It has been noted that female entrepreneurs from a number of business sectors such as the subsistence farming, tourism, and small trading industry were losing out on profits because of poor network signals. Their businesses are modernized but their reach is limited. Some of their challenges faced are not being able to take online bookings, processing payments or simply receiving phone calls. Calls drop, signals vanish, and online platforms remain out of reach for many of them.
Female entrepreneurs are powerful
Khanya Shipalana, a co-founder of Moropa Site Solutions explained to Newsie: “In the rural communities where we operate, a significant number of households are led by women. When they draw courage to start their own businesses to support their families, many of them face considerable challenges due to poor network connectivity. This hampers both their personal safety and business growth.”
Impact on the tourism sector
“Bookings come through too late because of poor connectivity,” says Lady J Joji who runs a guesthouse in the Eastern Cape. Joji explained: “A guest sends a booking request, and by the time the email finally comes through, they’re already at the reception desk. Guests expect to confirm bookings online, share their experiences on social media, or check in with loved ones while they travel. When the network drops, these basic expectations cannot be met.” She concluded by saying: “For local female entrepreneurs, the result is devastating, with visitors often bypassing some towns altogether in favour of areas with stronger connectivity. Intermittent signal cuts off female entrepreneurs from the very market they need to survive.”
Poor signals risks lives
Joji told Newsie that there were deep rural areas where one simply could not get any cellphone signals. Then, in some areas, “the network drops so often that you can’t rely on it.” She said: “I’ve seen someone use his own car to rush a neighbour to hospital because he couldn’t call an ambulance. For many female entrepreneurs, this is frightening – when you can’t call the police during a break-in, you’re on your own.”
People living far apart
The risks are compounded by distance. Neighbours in rural areas often live kilometres apart, and with no signal, even simple communication becomes impossible. For women who already face higher risks of gender-based violence and crime, unreliable connectivity strips away one of their most vital safety nets – the ability to reach out for help.
Disconnected from Digital Markets
Shipalana said that poor network signals also impacted the ability of female entrepreneurs to access digital markets. “From point-of-sale devices to WhatsApp-based sales, e-commerce relies on stable connections. Female entrepreneurs hoping to scale up are instead left frustrated when trying to access the digital economy and are often unable to reach broader markets or compete with their urban counterparts,” she explained.
“The signal is just reliable enough to hope, never reliable enough to build on.” – Khanya Shipalana
Lack of basic infrastructure
In places like the Eastern Cape, female entrepreneurs are running businesses with incredible resilience, but the lack of basic infrastructure in deep rural areas undermines their efforts. “Imagine trying to sell your crafts online but losing the connection halfway through a transaction or missing a payment because your card machine won’t connect. These daily frustrations add up to lost income and lost opportunities,” pondered Shipalana. Her company focuses on building tower sites in deep rural or underserviced areas.
The bigger picture
A study by Opensignal published in 2023, found that South African smartphone users observe a 14.4% slower average download speed and 29.2% slower upload speed experience in rural areas than in urban areas. The study also found that time spent with no signal was far higher in rural areas, with users in the Northern Cape and Limpopo recording the highest proportion of time with no signal. It can take over a year to get through the permitting process to build a single cell tower in South Africa.
Bridging a large divide
Shipalana has called on government to do more to bridge the gap between urban and rural connectivity. “The statistics are sobering, but the solution is within reach. By accelerating tower rollouts, cutting red tape, and prioritising rural coverage, South Africa can unlock a wave of entrepreneurial energy led by female entrepreneurs,” she said. Moropa Telecommunications operates in KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga, Limpopo, North-West and the Eastern Cape.
Read more about Moropa Telecommunications: Championing Real Connectivity for Success
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