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Despite efforts to make the internet available to the masses most people , especially in developing countries, still have no access to the internet. For example, only 10% of South Africans have access to the internet (Internet World Statistics, 2006); that is despite South Africa (SA) having one of the highest internet penetration rates in the Sub-Saharan Africa. In addition, most of those with physical access to the internet; lack the willingness and the capability to adopt the technology (Chigona and Mbhele, 2008). Many would argue that it is not the internet per se that is a problem, but rather the mode of accessing the internet (i.e. the traditional access) that is problematic. The problems with the traditional internet include the cost of providing the physical infrastructure and complexity of use. Traditional internet access requires, among other things, a fixed line telephone and a computer. Unfortunately, both are rare commodities in most of the developing countries. For instance, SA, considered one of the most developed countries in Africa, has a fixed line penetration rate of 10.1 lines per 100 people (ITI, 2006). This makes traditional internet access out of reach for many people.

Many see the mobile internet as the solution to the present internet access limitations. For instance, ITU (2004) notes that “mobile technology has the power to drive the uptake of the internet”. Since mobile networks do not require fixed infrastructure, they can connect geographically remote places. With cellular covering almost 96% of SA (Bridges.org, 2006) and mobile phones outnumbering PCs and fixed lines in a growing number of developing countries, mobile phones have become the perfect platform for delivering internet services, particularly to previously under-served areas (Critical Friends of Technology, 2003). For this reason mobile internet is hailed as a potential solution to narrow the digital divide (Mphidi, 2004; ITU, 2004; Bridges.org, 2006; Butler, 2005).

Research on mobile internet has focused on the adoption of the technology; and has ignored investigating the factors that may hinder the uptake of the technology. We argue that factors that affect the adoption of a technology are not necessarily the same as those that hinder its adoption. We use Herzberg’s hygiene factors theoretical underpinning for our study. According to Herzberg (1968), the factors involved in producing job satisfaction (and motivations) are separate and distinctive from factors that lead to dissatisfaction. Herzberg further explained that these two factors (motivations and inhibitors) are not the opposite of each other. This implies that motivators create satisfaction and inhibitors lead to dissatisfaction. This, in turn affects the extent to which an innovation may be used.

Data for the study was gathered using unstructured interviews with thirty participants who included students, employed as well as unemployed adults. The study noted that on top of technical limitations of the mobile telephony, the adoption of mobile internet is also affected by the social discourse around the use of mobile internet.