InDrive rolls out free WiFi to all 14 Soweto spaza shops

• InDrive has announced a revamp of 14 spaza shops across Soweto by setting up free WiFi for their customers.
• The initiative is part of Freedom Day celebrations planned for the coming days.
• It is also part of efforts to push greater access to connectivity in underserved communities.

This coming weekend, on 27th and 28th April to be more precise, South Africa will celebrate Freedom Day. To mark the occasion, as well as its sixth year of operation in the country, InDrive has announced the revamp of 14 spaza shops across Soweto by helping set up free WiFi.

While the ridesharing platform does not have a list of all 14 spaza shops, they should be fairly easy to spot in the community given the bright green new murals by Soweto-born artists and twin brothers Fhatuwani and Justice Mukheli (I See A Different You).

The pair explained that the artwork celebrates the “spirit of movement, creativity, and freedom of choice — themes that resonate deeply with the community and align with the broader ethos of Freedom Day.”

InDrive’s scannable street QR code:

Said murals also feature a QR code that spaza shop customers can scan in order to access internet connectivity.

“The project brings much-needed connectivity directly to the places where daily life happens: the small, independently owned shops that serve as key gathering points in Soweto’s neighborhoods. By providing free internet access at these local hubs, the initiative aims to help bridge the digital divide and create new opportunities for learning, connecting, and doing business,” highlighted InDrive in a release shared with Hypertext.

“This wasn’t about billboards or big advertising — it was about showing up meaningfully in the communities where we operate. These spaza shops are central to community life, and through this project, we’ve been able to offer a small contribution that supports both local business owners and their customers,” added Ashif Black, country representative for inDrive South Africa.

Soweto Spaza Shops:

Also of interest to spaza shops should be the government’s recent Support Fund, which is offering a total of R500 million in funding for local entrepreneurs running independent small businesses in townships.

To find out more about that initiative, click on the picture embedded below.

Read our recent post here about how the government is combating the increase of VAT.

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