Although internet connectivity problems make Second Life less accessible for African users, a Cape Town-based organisation has been one of the first to experiment with its possibilities.

A few months ago, Dorette Steenkamp and Erna Sittig were watching CNN when a programme came on about Second Life, an online 3D virtual world boasting millions of users. “They said Second Life was the next big thing and we wondered if Africa was represented and said let’s go and check it out,” said Sittig, who along with Steenkamp is a co-founder of Uthango Social Investments, a non-profit organisation based in Cape Town that works in the field of poverty eradication and social entrepreneurship. Sittig and Steenkamp downloaded the software required, created an online profile and began their virtual existence, keen to explore how their organisation could benefit from the social networking opportunities of Second Life.