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Limpopo Business 2018-19 edition

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A unique guide to business and investment in Limpopo Province, South Africa. Launched in 2007, the 2018/19 edition of Limpopo Business is the 10th issue of this highly successful publication that has established itself as the premier business and investment guide for the Limpopo Province. Limpopo has many investment and business opportunities. In addition to the regular articles providing insight into each of the key economic sectors of the province, there are special features on developments in the transport and logistics sector and a focus on tourism. Interviews with industry leaders in development finance from the Industrial Development Corporation and the Small Enterprise Development Agency share their insights into the state of the provincial economy. Investment news related to mining, telecommunications and development finance is carried in overviews of all the main economic sectors. The publication also has a comprehensive register of all provincial government and municipal contact details. Updated information on Limpopo is also available through our monthly e-newsletter - which you can subscribe to at www.globalafricanetwork.com

OVERVIEW Information,

OVERVIEW Information, communication and technology (ICT) and telecommunications Libraries are the key to connection in Limpopo. Rural areas are difficult (and expensive) to connect. 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, hospitals 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. Other areas of focus are under-serviced local municipalities and state facilities such as police stations and prisons. In 2015, 17 community health clinics in the Vhembe district received notebooks, tablets and printers. In his State of the Province Address in February 2018, the Premier of Limpopo, Chupu Stanley Mathabatha, reported that “over 90% of our libraries are well equipped with ICT infrastructure to enhance the reading and learning experience”. He further announced that four more villages would be getting libraries and seven existing libraries would be upgraded to receive ICT connections. A wide area network (WAN) for the province is a goal for the provincial government. A combination of fibre and wireless technology will be used to reduce cost. A science and technology master plan is also to be developed. SECTOR INSIGHTS The Limpopo data nerve centre is up and running. 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. Construction of the provincial ICT data centre has been completed. The second phase will cover more than 80% of the provincial population, as per the provincial spatial development framework. Private telecommunications LIMPOPO BUSINESS 2018/19 68

OVERVIEW 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. A National Library of South Africa (NLSA) project, supported by Vodacom, is connecting 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 started 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 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 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. ONLINE RESOURCES Limpopo Economic Development Agency: 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 Ten schools have been identified by the ICT Internet Connectivity Project and the National Department of Basic 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 computerliteracy classes are given at some Limpopo schools by the Internet Service Providers’ Association (ISPA), and the CoZa Cares project of Uniforum SA. 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. 69 LIMPOPO BUSINESS 2018/19

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