[ Johannesburg, 10 April 2008 ] - The ability of low-income people to access e-mail through their mobile phones will not hurt the growth of SA's Internet café market, says mobile phone giant Nokia.

World Wide Worx MD Arthur Goldstuck notes that access to e-mail through a mobile phone reduces the time and money users spend to go to an Internet cafe.However, it does not replace the need to go to an Internet cafe to access broader Internet services, he says. SA still has a need for Internet cafes, especially in townships and rural areas, he adds.

Goldstuck  also says that  Internet cafes face big financial challenges as owners' business margins are low, yet the best local locations are expensive.