An analysis of Social Media use in The SADC region - 2014 - 2020 Barriers to internet access: Main reasons why the household does not have Internet in the region are as show in figure 14 below: Figure 14: Barriers to internet access: Source: Own chart from After Access201 data Cost as a barrier to social media use A higher cost of mobile access has a greater impact on the lowest earners, as it constitutes a higher share of their monthly income. Therefore, addressing affordability issues is key to achieving greater digital inclusion including increased subscriber penetration and the extension of mobile services to the unconnected and also social media usage across the region. Taxation as contributor to cost as a barrier to social media Consumer taxes such as sales taxes, custom duties and activation taxes directly raise retail prices for consumers to use social media. Meanwhile, the extent to which mobile operator taxes and fees ultimately fall on the operator or consumer depends on the type of tax and market conditions. Some taxes and fees may be absorbed by operators in the form of lower profits (thus negatively impacting investment), while others may be passed through in terms of higher prices for consumers, 201 RIA After Access survey data, 2017 37 https://zimbabwe.misa.org