TshWi-Fi - personalising Tshwane's free Wi-Fi service

© Carline Bon-Ami via 123RF

Offering each user more than 500MB free data daily, it connects, educates and empowers with free internet across more than 780 free TshWi-Fi internet zones – including open public spaces, tourist attractions, educational institutions, schools, clinics and libraries. It has been accessed by more than 1.9 million devices since inception.

Its name is the brainchild of Jae Brits, creative director at Retrolex, which was recently appointed to manage all the brand communications and marketing for the TshWi-Fi project. One of the key challenges was to rebrand the generically named Free Wi-Fi service. Through creating a new brand name, look and feel, Retrolex was able to give the City of Tshwane a service, which was not only its own, but also locally relevant and completely differentiated.

The initial brand launch included the rebranding of the portal together with a revised user experience, signage rollout at free TshWi-Fi internet zones, community activations, outdoor advertising.

Mosa Holomo, Retrolex’s client service director, says, “TshWi-Fi has taken on a life and a momentum all of its own. It has been adopted online and is part of daily language – it is technology with an African personality.”

“A ‘high’ for us was seeing a poll on eNCA regarding free public Wi-Fi services nationally and the TshWi-Fi brand being mentioned,” added Jackie Brits, strategy director.

The brightly coloured TshWi-Fi logo is now easily distinguishable and since its brand relaunch in April 2016, the project has seen a 25% increase in the number of unique users.

Talking on the success of the project, City of Tshwane’s director of brand management and advertising, Sarette Kamffer said, “I had the pleasure of working with Retrolex’s core leadership team of Jackie Brits, Mosa Holomo and Jae Brits. Their diligence, creativity and understanding of the marketing environment has resulted in a highly impactful campaign.”