Everyone has a cell phone in South Africa. They can cost as little as $5 and township residents say if they lost their phone they’d get a new one by the end of the day. Mobile phones are a potent device here, and SMS technology is something we started researching with Diepsloot Community News as a way to improve local communication and government transparency.
At a temporary Shembe pilgrimage site in Durban, most people don’t have electricity so there are small businesses (above) dedicated to recharging cell phones (for R5 = $0.65). Makes you wonder if there are easier ways to power up, like via sunshine or sugar (fo’ real). Someday you and your phone can get your big gurl on and eat cookies together!
