As the academic year draws to a close, the air is thick with the urgency and tension that final exams bring to students across South Africa.
With the fourth term winding down, learners are immersing themselves in study materials, pulling late-night sessions, and often scrambling to track down past papers amidst the pressures of their education.
For many, these final marks will not only define progression into the next grade but also determine whether matriculants will gain admission to the universities or colleges of their choice.
In a country where mobile connectivity is a cultural norm, navigating the vast online resources available has become an indispensable part of exam preparations.
Out of the 45.3 million internet users in South Africa, a staggering 95% access the web through their smartphones. However, for many students, the high cost of mobile data remains a significant barrier to fully utilising these resources.
Despite over 72% of South Africans owning a smartphone, the financial strain of data costs hampers their ability to engage with crucial educational content.
Enter Opera Mini, a mobile browser that is rapidly making waves among the student population for its innovative data-saving capabilities.
According to Kseniia Sycheva, Senior Global Communications Manager at Opera Mini, the app empowers users to stretch every megabyte, a critical advantage for resource-conscious students. “Our mobile browser enables students across the country to stretch every megabyte available,” she explains, noting that Opera Mini can save up to 90% of data when browsing the internet—a potential game-changer for learners facing financial limitations.
Aside from its impressive data compression technology, Opera Mini has forged partnerships with local telecom providers, including MTN, to offer users up to 3GB of complimentary data each month.
These free data campaigns have already benefited millions of South African students, allowing them to maintain an online presence for longer, and at less cost—a vital resource during the high-stakes period of examinations.
Opera Mini doesn’t just conserve data; it also enhances productivity with several distinctive features.
The browser offers efficient browsing speeds, offline page functionality for saving important content for later access without data use, and an integrated ad blocker that eliminates distracting clicks and pop-ups.
This combination of features provides a streamlined, focused environment for students as they prepare for their final assessments.
With over a billion downloads and an impressive 4.6-star rating on Google Play based on nine million reviews, Opera Mini stands as one of the most trusted mobile browsers in the market today.
“At Opera Mini, we believe that everyone should have access to information, and that knowledge should not be limited by circumstances such as the price of data,” says Sycheva.
She emphasises the importance of facilitating equitable access to information:
“In South Africa, where affordability remains a key concern for the majority of the population, it is not just a mobile browser, but the gateway to helping students stay informed when it matters most. With every megabyte saved, a student is that much closer to staying connected to what matters most: their futures.”
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