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Date : 08/11/2003
Source: Ministry of Communications
Title: Matsepe-Casaburri: African ICT Achievers Awards


ADDRESS BY THE MINISTER OF COMMUNICATIONS, DR IVY MATSEPE-CASABURRI, AT THE AFRICAN ICT ACHIEVERS AWARDS, Johannesburg, 8 November 2003

Master of Ceremonies, Mr Bob Mabena,
Representatives from Government, Parastatals and Industry
Distinguished Guests
Ladies and Gentlemen:

I am pleased to be here this evening as we celebrate the African ICT 2003 Achievers Awards.

I would like to recognise especially the presence of the honourable Minister John Nasasira, Minister of Works, Housing and Communications of Uganda, who has contributed so much in building African information and communication technology (ICT) fora and in campaigning for the development of ICT in Africa.

It is already the fourth year of the African ICT Achievers Awards. Certainly these awards have grown from strength to strength, building on the successes of the early years to what we have today.

The present successes are because of the creativity and hard work of those who began their journeys in the ICT arena more than ten years ago - long before today's celebrations. It is time that we look back at what happened.

Over the last ten years, the road we have travelled together in the ICT sector is what has made it possible for us to celebrate excellence in this sector today. The collective efforts of those who have built this road and smoothed its rough edges ensure that we keep moving forward for the sake of all South Africa's people. Today is a day when we can highlight our milestones, claiming with humility our victories for sorting out our many problems.

Ten years ago, a solid foundation for transformation was being built. Among the distinguished guests present here today, there are those who surely will remember the Centre for the Development of Information and Telecommunications Policy (CDITP), that ten years ago at a venue not very far from here in Johannesburg, launched the National Telecom Forum (NTF). This was a historic event - which few mention today, and yet it laid the basis for change. Because up until then, the ICT sector was characterised by males in grey suits, grey shoes and short-sleeved shirts.

At that important gathering ten years ago, the NTF deliberated a new policy for South Africa. A number of issues emerged such as universal service and access. An issue arose of South Africa asserting itself as part of the African continent and of the global community. It was through the efforts of the CDITP that we now have the involvement of women and youth in the ICT sector. Today we harvest the fruits of what was ploughed in then. We aimed to make a change and who today can say we did not make a change?

Ten years ago, research became a matter for intense debate and discussion. This was because before the 1990s, ICT was viewed only as a technical field by the previous order. The year 1993 changed all of this because research was put into a different light.

Thus, today ICTs are driven by an effective policy and regulatory framework coupled with human capital, intellectual property, sound knowledge, financial and resource base as well as a solid engineering and technology foundation. Today, these areas are equally important in any country that would want to drive ICT as an important sub-sector of the economy.

Ten years ago, there was little talk among telecom operators in particular and the ICT sector in general about the possibilities of expansion of markets on the African continent. In 1994 when we talked about matters related to an African renaissance during the Africa Telecom Conference in Cairo, most operators and investors were not convinced that Africa is a market to be explored for their products.

Yet the meetings of the African Telecom would continue and the participation of countries and exhibitors over the years would increase. Africa Telecoms were held in Cairo in 1994, at Nasrec in Johannesburg in 1998, at Gallagher Estate, Johannesburg in 2001 and the next event will be in 2004 in Cairo.

Today we have moved very far from where we first were in Cairo in 1994. South African mobile operators are running flourishing businesses and networks in more than a dozen countries.

Today, we have a fibre optic cable that connects most of the west coast African countries. We are confident that within three to five years, the East Coast Cable will also be finalised.

Today, it is clear among business that there are better profit margins for companies in Africa than elsewhere in the world. In fact, some companies who have tried to make inroads into the European market, and have lost out, have found that that they would have got better returns had they invested the same amount on African soil.

Ten years ago, we began our first tentative steps of transformation as we established the Independent Broadcasting Authority (IBA), the Independent Media Authority and appointed the first democratically selected South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) Board was appointed that was representative of South African society.

Ten years ago, there was one fixed line telephone operator and the beginnings of mobile phones were estimated to grow to 0.5 million by 2000 because not many people could afford them. Today, there are more mobile phones in the townships than in traditional white suburbs and 15 million altogether in this country alone.

Today we say with pride that the South African market is among the fastest growing GSM markets in the world. This expanding market has been shown to grow at over 50% per annum at times. Today, there are more than 2.5 million Internet users. Today South Africa's ICT industry is the twentieth largest in the world - contributing 0.5% to worldwide ICT revenues.

Today community radio is flourishing. Talk shows are increasing. Radio listenership is on the increase and so is television viewership.

All of these indicate not only an increased use of new media and technologies by South Africans, but also that South Africans have, with ease, entered the information age and are continuing to utilise the benefits of new technologies and in greater numbers.

Ten years ago, profound changes were also happening in our political life. We lived in great expectation of what the future would hold. The ruling party of today, the African National Congress, had its first national conference after its unbanning in order to plan the road ahead. Ten years ago, as South Africans, we were anxiously preparing to vote in the first democratic elections. These elections would bring to power President Nelson Mandela. Throughout his term in office, President Mandela championed ICTs as a way of bringing development to the South African people.

As early as 1995, when President Mandela addressed the Opening Ceremony of Telecom 95 in Geneva, he said that:

"If we cannot ensure that this global revolution creates a world-wide information society in which everyone has a stake and can play a part, then it will not have been a revolution at all. As we head towards the 21st century, the development of a global information society based on justice, freedom and democracy must be one of our highest priorities."

Today, through institutions such as ISSA and NEMISA, through partnerships with tertiary and research institutions, through working towards an Advanced Institute for Information and Communications Technology, and through projects such as the Mogalakwena HP Community, we are building our human resources in the ICT sector.

Today as South Africans collectively, we are preparing our contribution to the WSIS (World Summit on the Information Society) to be held in Geneva in December. We are playing our part in the creation of a worldwide information society.

This year, President Thabo Mbeki, in his State of the Nation Address emphasised that greater focus would also be paid to the service sector, for example e-governance, including the expansion of the ICT youth internship programme. He also recognised the importance of call centres and back offices for contributing to job creation.

Yet, while we have made so many advances in the last ten years - politically, economically and especially in the ICT sector - there is much that remains to be done.

Today, the example demonstrated by mobile operators should be extended to IT companies who must begin, in the second decade of our freedom, to forge partnerships with other African countries and governments in order to provide IT services and Internet.

Today, the challenges that still confront us are:
* corrective action
* black economic empowerment (BEE)
* social responsibility.

As an ICT sector, we need to more forward-looking when it comes to these three issues. Both as the public and as the private sector, we need to take a long-term approach in the way in which we address such issues.

What is critical is to cultivate long-term relationships in which knowledge and experiences are shared and exchanged. For these are the kinds of partnerships that will produce and grow sustainable businesses and sound, enduring business practices.

Today within the ICT sector, the development of a broad-based ICT BEE Charter is at an advanced stage. There has been significant development in this industry that for a long time was dominated by white people.

As we think about the next ten years, we need to exploit technological developments, as we prepare ourselves to take on the challenges that this decade will present to us.

In the new year, there are also two areas that my department will look to examine closely. The first is the mobile space environment. The second is the broadband environment. Because it is these two areas that will drive ICT going into the future.

In the year ahead, we need to position South Africa as a centre of excellence as the President said. We need to vie for a spot in the sun, building on the texture, the richness and professionalism emerging from one South Africa. We need to encourage investors to see us as a destination for business activities. Both the Department of Communications and the Department of Trade and Industry are working in this area so as to create a favourable policy and regulatory environment.

In this exciting context of new possibilities for the future, as we celebrate the success of ICT African Achievers for 2003, we congratulate them for their achievements in the past year. At the same time, we also wish to encourage them to perform even greater deeds in the future, in the next decade of our freedom.

Tonight we also recognise the innovation of our youth in the ICT sector. To these young men and women, the Techno boys and girls, we say that the future of our freedom and of the African renaissance also lies with you, the new generations who, in the decades to come, will have to strengthen the foundation that is being laid right now. With them and through them, let us define, build and refine our own soul.

I wish all the finalists well for having come so far on this journey in the ICT sector and all the award winners for having made their mark in this year 2003.

I would like to thank Forge-Ahead and all the sponsors of the Awards for believing in this project and for understanding the importance of public-private partnerships in sustaining initiatives such as this one. I would also like to thank the staff of the Department of Communications for their contribution in organising this event.

May these ICT African Achiever Awards be taken to even greater heights in the next decade of our freedom!

I thank you.

Issued by: Ministry of Communications
8 November 2003

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