Making sure wifi for remote workers in Cape Town is fast and easily available is an important part of any serious research into this city. After all, good wifi connectivity is what allows remote workers to be productive and efficient outside offices. Thankfully, remote workers in Cape Town can expect a modern communications' infrastructure with readily available connectivity that is adequate for work and reliable most of the time.
With an average download speed of around 22 mbps, Cape Town’s internet is not the fastest but does support the average remote worker’s needs and is well in line with (if not above) speeds in most parts of the world. So if you’re planning on coming to South Africa, you can rest assured that the wifi for remote workers in Cape Town will be good enough for you to carry out your tasks without a problem.
Some of the best places to catch some great wifi for remote workers in Cape Town will be any of the city’s wonderful cafes. Cape Town has seen the birth of many laptop-friendly cafes around the city which not only proved comfortable and convenient spaces to work from, but also fast and reliable wifi to work with. Having said that, we do recommend using a VPN when working using a public network, and recommend avoiding busy cafes or busy periods when the connection may be affected by high demand. Aside from that, the easily available wifi at the city’s cafes mean these are great spaces to socialize also, and a great way to meet other remote workers in Cape Town.
If you are in need of a dedicated space with superfast connectivity then it is the city’s coworking spaces where you will find the best wifi for remote workers in Cape Town. Indeed, the spaces in the city support some of the continent’s most important companies and, as such, use purpose-built infrastructure to provide superfast wifi to all members. Asides from the amazing speeds, coworking spaces in Cape Town offer members invaluable opportunities to socialize and grow both professionally and personally through the networks available. The beautiful design and ergonomics of the city’s coworking areas are also fantastic for really getting some work done here. Some of our favorite coworking spaces in the city are Workshop17’s Watershed, Kelvin Corner and Ideas Cartel 113 Loop St.
The most important places to have adequate wifi for remote workers in Cape Town will undoubtedly be your apartments and phones. In order to ensure your home is equipped with the necessary connectivity infrastructure, we recommend you ask about this directly when confirming your rental with an agency or directly with a landlord. If you are finalizing the contract remotely, you might want to consider asking for a speed test to be carried out on the property to ensure speeds are good enough. In Cape Town, Cell C is reported to have the best coverage and fastest fibre speeds. Equally important, you will certainly want to get your phone set up with a good data plan as soon as you get to South Africa - MTN is the best provider in Cape Town and offers monthly 5GB data plans for around 405 Rand which you can purchase at the airport or any authorized branch in the city (remember to bring your passport!).
Cape Town’s SmartCape program also means you can connect to good wifi while on the move around the city, too! This program has installed hotspots around town, at major government buildings, busy intersections and most transport exchange hubs. Additionally, you can always get an hour or 50GB of free fast internet at the city’s public libraries, which provide some of the best wifi for remote workers in Cape Town. Even some of the city’s newer MyCiti buses on the BRT system are now equipped with onboard hotspots, meaning you can always be connected in Cape Town.
For more information about living in Cape Town as a remote worker, check out our complete Cape Town guide.