New Brighton is a township like many. Located just outside of Port Elizabeth on the Eastern Cape of South Africa this community is one of many within a whole land strip full of housing projects and squatted shacks. This is where people live in tiny houses built for them by the government or in self-made huts made out of anything from old petroleum tanks to construction garbage. The smell of pollution fills the air and contaminated waters spill most of the area.

Despite or because these extremely poor and devastating living conditions, the people of New Brighton and other townships across South Africa are very keen on participating in the phenomenon of constant exchange of information. Since most houses do not have phone lines or even power, communication network operators offer little phoning containers to the public. People can use their mobile phone lines to call their families and friends.

Prepaid phoning cards for mobiles are also very high in demand in the townships. For as little as 10 Rand, which is roughly 1.2 Euros, cards containing the ever-desired airtime can be bought on every corner. You can find phone cards in any shop ranging from grocery stores to beauty parlors to petroleum stations.

Network coverage is good. A few years ago all transmission towers were driven with electric power lines. Many people tapped into these lines, though to get some much needed power for their kitchens or heating. Now the network providers have switched to solar energy powered masts. So the discrepancy remains: it is harder to find energy or plumbing in the townships than to have access to mobile phones.