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E-GOVERNMENT

owned organisations. It’s also aimed at addressing gaps
identified by government to bridge the digital divide, transform
the industry and close the growing unemployment gap. As of
2019, government will train one million young people to be
data scientists until 2030.
Bridging the digital divide

The South Africa Government has emphasised that the digital
revolution must respond to the needs of the developing world
by assisting it to overcome unemployment, as well as bridging
the digital divide. According to the minister, government is
making progress in the rollout of broadband through the SA
Connect programme.
“Broadband Infraco continues to bring fibre closer to small
villages, which makes the 3G and 4G network work much
flowers that were in season when the honey was produced. faster. The fibre also makes the Wi-Fi networks work faster,”
Worthmann says being at the conference has been a wonderful he says.
opportunity as potential investors from Malawi and Zimbabwe
have expressed interest in the application. The department, together with the National Treasury and
the Development Bank of Southern Africa, are looking at
Incubation programmes to assist SMMEs affordable and sustainable public private partnership models
in an effort to get funding to roll out the programme throughout
the country.
Noting the talent of SMMEs who exhibited their products at
the conference, Minister Cwele says the technologies that “We are not going to have the R88 billion we need to roll out
emerged at the conference will make it easier for South this project throughout the country so we are going to have
Africa to be at the forefront of the digital economy and digital to do it in partnership with the private sector,” the minister
revolution. In an effort to create an enabling environment for confirmed.
entrepreneurs to thrive, the department and its partners intend
to set-up Tech SMME Incubation centres at the Dube Trade Great strides have also been taken in implementing the
Port in KwaZulu-Natal and at the Innovation Hub in Pretoria. e-government services, which will see shorter waiting
periods in queues for citizens. The service intends to simplify
The incubation centres will assist SMMEs to develop their government procedures, improve access to information
business ideas from the infancy stage. The businesses for citizens, improve service delivery, and strengthen
will be offered support and guidance as they produce new accountability and transparency. In addition, government
technologies. Incubation programmes are aimed at improving has finalised consultations with the telecommunications
the early-stage survival and long-term growth prospects of industry and other stakeholders to ensure that the allocation of
SMMEs, to ensure that they remain sustainable. spectrum reduces barriers to entry, promotes competition and
reduces costs to consumers.
“These centres will be hosted in an environment that will
enable the building of solutions, and the ability to transform Government has decided to accelerate licensing the radio
innovative ideas of SMMEs into real projects. The facility will frequency spectrum in the 2.6Ghz, 700Mhz and 800Mhz
grow into a space that allows sponsored SMMEs to build bands to hasten the growth of mobile communications. The
and stage their ideas,” says the minister. SMMEs using the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa)
facilities will be contracted on an agreed timeline to get their is now preparing to licence available high-demand spectrum.
ideas to prototype level. Furthermore, South Africa has begun work in preparation for
5G spectrum licensing as part of its efforts to build a smarter
“Through various partnerships, the department and Cisco digital economy. The various initiatives by government
hopes to develop current and cultivate new SMMEs in the ICT demonstrate a commitment to meeting the demands of the
space and help them enter, grow and compete in the market,” digital revolution and building an inclusive economy. 
the minister says.

Forum to bring it all together

In preparation for the digital revolution, South Africa has
committed to train women, children, people with disabilities
and SMMEs. These programmes include digital literacy
training for 100 women per province. In October, the
department will launch a multi-stakeholder consultative forum
to devise a strategy towards collaborating for the programme.
The objective of the multi-stakeholder forum is to determine
how to ensure that opportunities and facilities are widely
commuted and accessible to SMMEs, women and youth-

16 SERVICE DELIVERY REVIEW | Volume 12 No. 1 of 2018