The indaba is to be hosted by the Department of Communications from 4-7 June at the Cape Town International Convention Centre. The event, which is to be held for the next five years, is endorsed by the Geneva-based International Telecommunications Union (ITU). The ITU, which has 193 member states and more than 700 sector members, is the leading United Nations agency that specialises in ICT issues for governments and the private sector.
Announcing the details of the ICT Indaba 2012, Communications Minister Dina Pule said the ministry was committed to ensuring the ICT sector played its role as primary enablers of economic growth and job creation, not only in South Africa but also throughout the continent. "By hosting the indaba, we are sending out a bold word to the world that Africa is ready to be the next boom market for ICT services. Africa is a minefield of opportunities for communication services providers because it has a population estimated at one billion people, but many of them do not have access to affordable communications services," she said.
The investment in infrastructure can unlock the electronics components manufacturing industry on the continent and will enable larger numbers of people to access communications services. South Africa's ICT industry is ranked 20th in the world, accounting for 0.5% of the worldwide ICT revenue.
Minister Pule urged the world to attend the indaba to share global best practices and conduct business with the continent. "Our local talent, as well as entrepreneurs from all over the continent, will have an opportunity to showcase their best products and services to the world at the only continental ICT conference of this magnitude. This will be a platform for our local multinationals to explore further opportunities across the continent and build on their business relations," she said.
Speakers at the event will include ICT academics, industry experts and key government representatives from all over the world. Some objectives of the ICT Indaba 2012 are to bring together key stakeholders to formulate a continental agenda to capitalise on the ICT growth, to evaluate existing and future technology solutions and highlight approaches suitable for specific challenges, and leverage on South Africa's strong ICT infrastructure to benefit the continent and showcase innovative technologies to boost strategic industries.
