Limpopo Business 2017-18 edition

OVERVIEW Information and

OVERVIEW Information and communications technology (ICT) Limpopo is getting better connected. SECTOR INSIGHT Limpopo Connexion is rolling out broadband infrastructure. • 949 community members received ICT skills training in the past year. When leaders and policy-makers met in the fourth quarter of 2016 at the Limpopo Economic Summit, one of the six pillars identified as pivotal to the province’s progress was ICT and the knowledge economy. A wide area network (WAN) for the province was listed as a key objective and it was decided that a combination of fibre and wireless technology should be used to reduce cost. A science and technology master plan is also to be developed. The body responsible for rolling out the infrastructure is Limpopo Connexion, a subsidiary of the Limpopo Economic Development Agency (LEDA). The first phase began in 2017 with broadband infrastructure in Polokwane as the focus. The second phase will cover more than 80% of the provincial population, as per the provincial spatial development framework. In the 2016/17 financial year, 949 community members received ICT skills training in a programme run by the Limpopo Department of Economic Development, Environment and Tourism (LEDET). One way of achieving higher connectivity in rural areas is to focus on schools and libraries. The Universal Service and Access Agency of South Africa (USAASA) provides ICT services to public and private schools, hospital and training colleges. Limpopo is one of five provinces that USAASA concentrates on with respect to school connectivity: more than R25-million has been spent since 2010 on this project and more than 400 smart devices distributed. Private telecommunications companies also have community responsibilities in terms of the National Development Plan. They must help connect under-serviced areas to the telecommunications and Internet networks. LIMPOPO BUSINESS 2017/18 70

OVERVIEW A National Library of South Africa (NLSA) project, supported by Vodacom, will connect about 300 community libraries via VSAT and Vodacom ADSL services. The project covers South Africa’s three most rural provinces – North West, Limpopo and Mpumalanga. When national libraries starting using an open source system known as Library Information Management System (LIMS), it was a good opportunity to upgrade the more remote libraries. Meso ICT Solutions was the company used by Vodacom and the NLSA to roll out the project, which will also give community members in those areas (including teachers and students) better access to the Internet. Each library has 14 work stations and Vodacom can carry both fixed-line and satellite connectivity. The state is a big factor in the ICT sector, both in terms of its regulatory role, the incentives offered to companies and in terms of its own purchasing power through national departments and agencies. The State Information Technology Agency (SITA) supports a wide range of national and provincial departments and municipalities across the province, and is working on establishing a comprehensive provincial network. SITA played a role in the NLSA/LIMS project. Sita has a client base of more than 5 000 offices, and offers services in WAN support, support of the provincial mainframe, ICT training and website development, among others. A SITA initiative to help South Africa’s teachers obtain laptops will have an impact on the sector. South African Vanguard of Technology (Savant) is a Department of Trade and Industry (dti) programme. It is the marketing and awareness programme for the South African ICT and electronics sector. The aim is to develop South African exports and to attract foreign investment. The National Department of Communications is responsible for the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA, the regulator of communications, broadcasting and postal services), the SA Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) and three other agencies. The Telkom Foundation began supporting ICT at Manyangan High School and several others like it a decade ago. Schools in rural areas were given a wireless networked e-Learning Resource Centre consisting of 20 computers, a server, a printer, all Microsoft supplied software, insurance and a three-year maintenance plan. Internet access was included, powered by Vsat satellite technology. Ten schools have been identified by the ICT Internet Connectivity Project and the National Department of Education to pilot the Offline Content Solution. Tirelo Bosha will pay R1.4-million towards this project. Tirelo Bosha is a public service improvement grant administered by the National Department of Public Service and Administration. The Technology and Human Resources for Industry Programme (THRIP) is a programme of the National Research Foundation and supports an average of 235 projects per year. THRIP supports initiatives that use science to bring benefits to wider society. This can relate to boosting distant rural computer literacy or for scientists working at the University of Venda who have received THRIP funding for soil research. Intermediate computer-literacy classes are given at some Limpopo schools by the Internet Service Providers’ Association (ISPA), and the CoZa Cares project of Uniforum SA. The Maths Centre has received funding from the Citigroup Foundation to help it expand the Anglo American project for maths and science using specially developed software. ISPA and Uniforum SA run a Super Teacher of the Year award for the educator who has best imparted their newly acquired IT knowledge to pupils and members of their community when they return from training courses. ONLINE RESOURCES Limpopo Department of Economic Development, Environment and Tourism: www.ledet.gov.za Limpopo Economic Development Agency (LEDA): www.lieda.co.za Seda Technology Programme: www.seda.org.za South African Vanguard of Technology: www.savant.co.za State Information Technology Agency: www.sita.co.za Support Programme for Industrial Innovation: www.spii.co.za Technology Innovation Agency: www.tia.org.za 71 LIMPOPO BUSINESS 2017/18