Wits students and staff can now connect to free WiFi at the Mall of Africa

Those who work and study at the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) can now stay online even when off campus, as a new location is offering internet connectivity to these users.

That location is the Mall of Africa shopping centre in Midrand, which is a notable distance from any Wits campus.

“Witsies, you can now connect to eduroam at Mall of Africa! Wits students and staff can access secure Wi-Fi using their existing university credentials, making it easier to stay connected to learning, research and university resources while away from campus. The activation forms part of Wits’ efforts to expand digital connectivity beyond campus through its partnership with Attacq,” reads an announcement from the university made on social media.

While some shopping centres already offer free WiFi to those on the premises, this usually comes with some caveats such as providing personal information, some kind of limit being placed on the access or slow speeds. Safety experts will also tell you that open WiFi connections can be extremely dangerous.

This offering, however, is different as it’s part of the eduroam system.

“Eduroam (education roaming) is the secure, easy-to-use, worldwide WiFi roaming access service developed for the international research and education community. It allows students, researchers and staff from participating institutions to obtain Internet connectivity across campus and when visiting other participating institutions by simply opening their laptops,” reads the description of the service on its website.

We have to mention the last organisation in this trio is offering internet to Wits people at the Mall of Africa. This is Attacq, a Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT), which not only owns Mall of Africa, but also Waterfall City, the “mixed-use precinct” in Midrand.

Lastly, it’s not just Wits which makes use of eduroam locally. Around a dozen universities are listed on the eduroam participants list for South Africa. Right now, however, we’re unsure which other student and staff bodies are able to access the connectivity at Mall of Africa.

[Image – Wits]

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