Unlocking Opportunity for all PBOs: A Big Win for Digital Inclusion

CN&CO long-term client Brownie Points is at the forefront of driving real, measurable impact in South Africa.

Over the past year, the tech-for-good company has been working closely with the DG Murray Trust (DGMT) to unlock digital inclusion. Earlier this year, Brownie Points made a breakthrough in partnership with Rain and by assisting DGMT with the tech setup to simplify and manage the process for Public Benefit Organisations (PBOs) to apply for zero-rating.

Not only was Brownie Points instrumental in enabling this system, but they also played a pivotal role in helping the first 25 PBOs apply successfully – many of which are part of the Brownie Points Good Economy initiative in partnership with the Social Employment Fund. This milestone represents a powerful step towards bridging South Africa’s digital divide, with the potential to give millions of people access to vital online resources for education, health, and social services.

Read the full press release below to learn more about this groundbreaking initiative and its far-reaching impact.

Unlocking Opportunity for all PBOs:

A Big Win for Digital Inclusion For several years, the DG Murray Trust (DGMT) has championed digital inclusion as a cornerstone of social and economic justice in South Africa. When Covid-19 lockdowns kept children out of classrooms, the urgency of equitable access to online resources became undeniable.

That vision has now taken a major step forward. In partnership with Rain, 25 websites run by Public Benefit Organisations (PBOs) have been successfully zero-rated – meaning all South Africans on the Rain network can now access critical education, health, and social services online, without using mobile data.

A milestone for access
This is the first time such a large cohort of PBO websites has been zero-rated by a South African mobile operator as a result of ICASA’s regulations, turning ICASA’s regulation into real-world impact. The milestone is not only a breakthrough for digital inclusion, but also a demonstration of what is possible when the private sector partners with the social sector to address inequality.

When similar zero-rating was introduced during the Covid-19 lockdowns, the results were immediate and dramatic: User traffic to the digital content of most PBOs grew by 25% to 50% in the very next month and continued climbing for months afterwards. This shows the real-world difference that data-free access makes, turning regulation into direct benefits for South Africans.

Voices from the sector
The benefits of this achievement are already being felt:
“Wonderful, you and DGMT are pioneers with this initiative – can be the start of something great for the underserviced and rural communities.” – Lucy Balona, Head: Marketing & Communication, CANSA

“This is phenomenal!! Thank you so much, this is going to be an absolute game changer for us!” – Shaunei Gerber, Head of Marketing & Communications, Futurelect

“Thank you for sharing this exciting update with us. We truly appreciate the partnership and your efforts in making access to our resources more inclusive by enabling data-free browsing on the Rain network.” – Nonkululeko Madondo, Mordecai Ndlovu Foundation

The challenge ahead
Despite this progress, the digital divide remains vast. Over 15 million South Africans still lack internet access, and in many rural households fewer than 2% have reliable internet at home. While ICASA’s regulation requires all mobile network operators to provide zero-rating for PBOs, Rain is currently the only provider actively doing so at scale. For true digital inclusion, all networks must urgently follow suit.

A call to action
Pascale du Toit, CEO of Brownie Points – a leading tech-for-good company that connects hundreds of PBOs and businesses to track, empower, and reward meaningful social and environmental impact – is calling on the sector to act:

“The zero-rating of PBO websites is a powerful step towards bridging South Africa’s digital divide, but we cannot stop here. Every network operator has a responsibility to comply with ICASA’s regulations and ensure that no one is excluded from accessing vital services online. At Brownie Points, we see daily how technology can empower communities, create jobs, and support sustainable development – but only if access is universal.”

Regulators and innovators must also focus on the next frontier: Connecting the millions who live in connectivity deserts. Solutions such as community-driven infrastructure, regulatory reform, and emerging technologies like low-earth orbit satellite internet will be crucial to ensuring that every South African, no matter where they live, can learn, work, and participate fully in this digital age.

“The move by Rain to zero-rate the digital content of over two dozen PBOs should serve as a challenge to other major network operators to do the same and with urgency,” says Dr Busisiwe Kabane-Bailey, Innovation Director at the DG Murray Trust (DGMT).

“We need network providers to view zero-rating not as an obligation, but an opportunity to accelerate socio-economic development in South Africa,” Kabane-Bailey explains.

Brownie Points and DGMT encourage more PBOs to apply for zero-rating so that their communities can benefit from free access to essential online resources.

Join the movement
Together, regulators, innovators, mobile operators, and civil society can bridge the digital divide and bring all South Africans fully into the 21st century.

For PBOs to apply for zero-rating: DGMT Social Innovation Register