• Ingonyama Trust Board signs deal with tower giant MAST to improve cellphone signal in rural areas.

• Traditional councils to earn rental income from cellphone towers to fund local development projects.

People in rural KwaZulu-Natal may soon have better cellphone signal thanks to a major new deal between the Ingonyama Trust Board and South Africa’s biggest tower operator, MAST.

The Board said the partnership, signed on Monday, would help close the digital gap by installing cellphone towers across land it owns under the Ingonyama Trust.

As the legal landowner of trust land in the province, the Board said it is focused on improving access to digital services in traditional council areas.

“This is a landmark agreement because it helps communities on traditional land to have reliable cellular telephone infrastructure,” said Advocate Linda Zama, Deputy Chairperson of the Ingonyama Trust Board.

She said many rural places have no signal at all because there are no towers. But now, she said, that will change—and this is only the start.

“The most important part is that this relationship will continue until we can do other things jointly, such as installing WiFi in rural schools,” she said.

Zama said the project will also bring real economic benefits. The money earned from tower rentals will go straight to the traditional councils where the towers are built.

“These funds will support local development efforts and further the Trust’s mission of unlocking rural land for the benefit of its people,” she said.

She also urged communities to protect the towers from vandalism, especially thieves who target the batteries and other parts.

Zama said the project is about more than just signal — it will improve communication, support businesses and help learners with their studies.

The Ingonyama Trust Board said this step shows its commitment to helping rural areas catch up with the rest of the world in terms of digital access.

Pictured above: The executive director of the MAST Group Gerald Naidoo and the Deputy Chairperson of Ingonyama Trust Board Advocate Linda Zama during the landmark agreement that will bring economic benefit in rural areas.

Image source: Ingonyama Trust