Advancing ICT Skills & Entrepreneurship in South Africa

1. ADVANCED ICT SKILLS DEVELOPMENT & ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN SOUTH AFRICA Presentation by: Dr. Andile Ngcaba, Director General (Dept. of Communications) Presentation to: Tel. Com 2002 24 October 2002

2. Dept. of Communications • To improve the quality of life of all our people, make South Africa’s future generations a knowledge based society and help create information economy. • This will be achieved by establishing a networked information economy to empower the way people work, live and play and to make South Africa globally competitive.

3. DoC – Functions I • Research, development and dissemination of telecommunications policies including legislative changes • Assessment of technological changes and trends and their impact on public policy and development • Objectives of policy must recognise the following • the urgent need to achieve universal service • development of the human resource capability

4. Doc – Functions II • Represent the S.A. government internationally in telecommunications, postal and broadcasting matters • Shareholder management of parastatals within the sector e.g Telkom, Post Office SABC etc. • Approve tariffs for mobile, fixed network networks • Approve the boards, budgets of the parastatals

5. ICT Skills Situation • Need for high-level software, computing, telecomms, broadcast and related ICT skills • 1996 HSRC study: shortage of 9’000 engineers in 5 years • IT Staff Survey (CPL Survey, November 1998) on Brain Drain • 29% of programmers • 23% of analysts and systems analysts

6. ICT Skills Situation II • SA Human Development Index (HDI) 0,677, ranking 94th in the world (Statistics in Brief, 1996) • BMI-TechKnowledge: ICT hardware, software and services market (excluding Telecomms) to exceed R40 billion in 2003, up from just under R20 billion in 1998 • SAITIS Baseline Studies (2001): Only 23% of IT vendors spend in excess of R100 000 on IT training • Impact of HIV/AIDS

7. Need for HR Development • Transition towards information society, knowledge based society, • Information services- major component of economic growth and trade, also a facilitator • Global competitiveness: South Africa and WTO

8. Need for HR Development • E-commerce era • E-commerce bill presents new challenges with regard to the type, quality and magnitude of skills required • Bridging the digital divide • New possibilities brought about by new technologies • It is now possible to bridge the digital divide (rich – poor, north – south, rural – urban, black – white, etc)

9. Need for HR Development III • Growth of mobile communications over the last 7-8 years • There are now +/- 10 million mobile phones in South Africa • Telecommunications Amendment Act of 2001 • Introduction of Fixed Mobile technologies • 2½ Generation Mobile & GPRS Technologies are currently in place

10. Need for HR Development IV • Presidential International Advisory Council on IS&D Meeting (George, October 2001 & September 2002) • Recommendation for establishment of ICT Institute • The use of Open Source Software as a skills development platform • President’s Commission on Information Society

11. Need for HR Development V • Empowerment of youth & women • To develop employability & entrepreneurial skills • Open Source Software programme • ISSA • Nemisa • DoCWILs • Incubation Service • Software Evaluation Centre

12. Seven HRD Priority Areas • As identified by Cabinet: • Development of adult basic education and training • Learnerships • Early childhood skills • Public sector skills • Scarce skills • Small, Medium and Micro-Enterprises (SMMEs) • Industry-education partnerships

13. HRD Initiatives (ISSA example I) • Institute for Satellite & Software Applications (ISSA) • Started operating in 1998 • Satellite Engineering, Software Engineering, Information Technology • Funded by ISETT-SETA • Historically Disadvantaged Science Graduates • Women • Rural

14. HRD Initiatives (ISSA example II) • ISSA has produced - 180 plus graduates • Current intake: 152 (49% Female) • Small Medium and Micro Enterprises (SMMEs)

15. HRD Initiatives (Nemisa example) • Established by DoC to provide advanced training within the broadcasting industry • Training focuses on Multimedia, Television and Radio Production • Implementation of Edu-Net and E-learning Centre

16. HRD Initiatives (DoCWILs example) • Is an Internet based distance learning method • Development and design of Web Sites; • Network standards and protocols; • Web based applications and use of the WWW as a business tool; • Multi-media applications; • Intranet development; • E-mail; • Java software programming

17. HRD Initiatives Software Evaluation Centre (SEC) I • Established in September 2001 • A need to acquire better software products • Software Development, Standards, Verification & Validation

18. HRD Initiatives Software Evaluation Centre (SEC) II • 11 black female Masters Software Engineering graduates from ISSA in collaboration with CMU, with the following skills: • Project Management Skills • Testing & Evaluation Strategies • Configuration Management Skills • Information Security • System Design & Analysis • Leadership Skills

19. Entrepreneurial Skills Initiatives ISSA Business Incubation I • 2 Fully Fledged Small Medium and Micro Enterprises (SMMEs) • Africa SpaceTech Solutions (Software, Electronics, RF Systems, Satellite Systems, Embedded Knowledge Systems) • QP Network Solutions (Network Planning, Implementation, Maintenance, Web Optimization)

20. Entrepreneurial Skills Initiatives ISSA Business Incubation II • Business Incubation for 40 graduates, 30 Female Graduate Entrepreneurs and 5 Students’ Incubator Companies • Development of Future ICT Leaders/CEOs

21. Electromagnetic Training Centre (EMTC) • The Electromagnetic Spectrum Training Centre, to be based at ISSA, will provide training to African Administrations and regulators on spectrum issues; • The courses offered at EMTC will include: • Spectrum Management; • EMC Testing and Type-Approval Testing; and • Frequencies used in Space. • The courses will entail theory and practical training by ISSA and local companies in the sector, • The training model will be based on that of the USTTI.

22. Advanced Institute for ICT (AIICT) • President’s State of the Nation Address (Feb 2002) • Presidential International Advisory Council on IS&D Meeting (George, Oct 2001) • To advance regional competitiveness in ICT • To take advantage of opportunities presented by information society & economy • Development of high-level software, computing, telecommunications, broadcast and related information & communications technology skills • Building the economy

23. Opportunities South Africa, a key player in NEPAD I • The 37th Summit of the Organisation of African Unity adopted a New African Initiative - the New Partnership for Africa’s Development, NEPAD. • NEPAD has been recognised both in and outside Africa as the top development programme for Africa. • In NEPAD, Information and Communications Technologies, ICT’s, have been recognised not only as important but as one of the four top priority programmes of NEPAD alongside:- • Communicable diseases • Market access of African goods and • Debt reduction

24. Opportunities South Africa, a key player in NEPAD II • ICT is a priority area for African development • Development of high-level ICT skills for the continent • E-Africa Commission • E-schools project (networking all African schools)

25. Opportunities South Africa, a key player in NEPAD III EDUNET • To make use of high speed, high bandwidth, Internet & satellite network for delivery of audio-visual learning material • DoCWILLs, ISSA, ICT University, various universities & technikons INTERNSHIP PROGRAMME • To provide students with actual work experience in the field of internet broadcasting, ICT ,law and commerce.

26. Thank You