Cell C and Canva Partner to Expand Digital Design Access for South Africans

Cell C  has partnered with design platform Canva  to expand access to digital design and content creation tools for South Africans, combining affordable connectivity with creative technology to support individuals, entrepreneurs and small businesses.

Under the partnership, Cell C customers who purchase a 5GB Anytime Data Bundle between August 11 and October 31, 2026, will receive three months of Canva Pro at no additional cost. The subscription provides access to premium design and video editing tools, templates, content and AI-powered features.

The companies said the initiative is intended to help customers use digital tools to create CVs and portfolios, build personal brands, produce content, promote businesses and develop new ideas.

“At Canva, our mission is to empower the world to design, and that starts with making creativity accessible to everyone. South Africans are incredibly entrepreneurial and creative. The collab will enable Cell C customers to access Canva Pro features that include unlimited premium content, templates, local languages and AI-powered features such as Magic Studio all in one platform.”

– Bianca Sibiya, Country Manager, Canva South Africa

For Cell C, the partnership forms part of a broader effort to help South Africans access opportunities and develop skills needed to participate in the digital economy. The company said connectivity alone cannot address all barriers to economic participation and that access to practical digital tools is also important.

The initiative builds on Cell C programmes including See Youth and Take a Child to Work, which are focused on exposing young South Africans to workplaces, career pathways and professional environments. The Take a Child to Work programme follows a “Dream, Discover, Do” learner journey and aims to take 100,000 children into workplaces by 2027. More than 180 companies have signed up to participate so far.

The Cell C-Canva partnership is also expected to extend beyond the initial three-month Canva Pro offer. Throughout 2026, the companies plan to organise community activations and design-focused workshops.

“We talk a lot about connectivity, but connectivity was always meant to lead somewhere. For many South Africans, that somewhere is opportunity: a chance to create, to build something of their own, and to be seen. Canva gives us a real, tangible way to put those opportunities into our customers’ hands, not as a once-off gesture, but as something built into how they already use their data every day. And through platforms like Take a Child to Work, we’re inviting other businesses to do the same, to open their doors and give young South Africans a real window into what’s possible. Cell C and Canva said the partnership is ultimately aimed at removing barriers to participation by combining connectivity, skills development and access to creative technology, enabling more South Africans to develop their capabilities and pursue economic opportunities.”

– Melanie Forbes, Chief Marketing Officer, Cell C