Page 53 - Research Report 2025.1

Social Networks use for communication
The use of social media for crisis communication is a key strategy in rural areas, enabling the rapid dissemination of important information. Participant 3 described how government agencies like disaster management units and health departments use platforms such as Facebook to share updates on crises, services, and interventions. Additionally, WhatsApp groups allow information to flow quickly to ward committees,community leaders,and even rural residents.This strategy ensures that important messages reach those in need swiftly,even when formal communication channels are limited or slow.
Social networks also function as essential information hubs that bridge the gap between rural and urban areas. Participant 2 highlighted how individuals living in urban centers, such as Sandton, use social networks to send crucial information back to their rural communities, including places like Ntabankulu and Matatiele. This exchange of information helps rural communities access resources and respond to potential threats or opportunities. Participant 6 echoed this, emphasizing the importance of creating Internet access cafes in rural areas to facilitate communication and information-sharing that helps alleviate poverty and enhance resilience.
Participant 3
The districts’ communication unit they have a Facebook page. Where disaster management or department of health or social development. If they have any message to send out to people, they take that message and put it on their social media. Facebook page. And then let’s say the people about we JOC because there is an active JOC commit that is available to WhatsApp. Where let’s say the department has something they want to do then will reach your reach out
to the JOC which has focal points, your focal point would
be the most senior people in your department. Maybe Your department of health will have the district director. Public works there will be a district director. The information flows quickly to people. If a message is sent on the JOC then we send it to ward committees, we have a list of all of them with WhatsApp groups with councillors as well. We take the message and send it to people.
Social media plays a big role. Information can get to people that we cannot get to. One person sees it and they can share with others, even when they are in big cities like JHB by getting a call about services being brought to their most rural areas.
Participant 2
The current communities are communities that are greatly influenced by social networks. Whether or urban because you would find a rural person residing in the sandton. And they would want that form of information available for
their people down in Ntabankulu or Matatiele, then it would mean that whilst that they are they are they are undertaking that, you they have exposure to information that they might necessarily not be able to find if socials were not there.
Participant 6
It contributes this thing of social networks Yeah. And community-based organisations. Because it’s the way it’s the only way of communication now. And it assists a lot. Hence, we had hands in our strategy, in our LED strategy. We are planning to say at least each and every zone must have a Internet cafe. For the people assisting, the people or young people on that particular area. So that they must be able to dish out the information within a stipulated time. So that information. The lack of information is also one of the reasons for poverty. Yes. Yeah. We have agreed again in our strategy to say, let’s mobilize young people in their areas. To have, Internet cafes. To be able to get Information.
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