ICT Policies and Strategies in Rwanda, Namibia & South Africa Jonathan Miller PhD July 2001

The View from Africa  Great International Interest in the Digital Divide –UN (UNITeS), HealthInternetwork –G8: Okinawa Charter DOT Force –Genoa Plan of Action –Commonwealth Secretariat –Multitude of International Donors

Contrasting ICT Policy Issues  The Developing World –Alleviating Poverty –Health –Education –The Cost of Telephone Calls –The Banking System –Physical Logistics  The developed World –Electronic Commerce –Universal Service –Electronic Gambling –Technology Neutral Taxation –Privacy of the Individual

The Starting Point  ICT is good for social/economic development  There is a growing digital divide  There is an untapped ICT market in developing countries

Interest within Africa’s 53 Countries  ISAD Conference: 1996  UNECA: AISI –Spreading the benefits of ICT’s equitably and quickly –The NICI Process: 22 countries  SADC “Policy Guidelines” for Info-based Economy  COMESA: E-Commerce, Trade & Investment

Particular Countries  South Africa  Namibia  Rwanda  Tanzania  Mozambique

Progress in South Africa  1994 marked the turning point  The Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP) set the vision for the country.  We had an agreed basis to measure many policies, programmes and projects

South Africa’s Vision Balance growth with development and place simultaneous emphasis on redressing the present regional, racial, gender and structural imbalances in the economy

Major ICT Initiatives:  National Research and Technology Foresight  Information Technology National Qualifications Framework  Electronic Commerce Policy Process  SA Information Technology Industry Strategy

Foresight Priorities  “FutureWeb”  E-Tagging  Knowledge Management  ICT Supported New Learning Methods

 High ICT Component  Safety & Security, Finance, Tourism  Medium ICT Component  Mining, Manufacturing  Low ICT Component  Agriculture, Health, Environment, Energy, Biodiversity. Cross-Cutting “Top 20” Responses

 A coordinated ICT industry strategy  ICT ‑ enabled growth of businesses across the entire economy  A robust ICT industry  A country poised for the Information Age SA IT Industry Strategy Project (

Industry Structure Sustaining Environment Global Competitiveness Infrastructure Applications/Content Market Research & Development Intellectual Property Knowledge Transfer Employment/Workforce Labour Issues Education/Training ICT Literacy Strategy Development Framework ICT SectorICT Usage InnovationHuman Resources

SAITIS Follow-on Projects  Sustainability Structures and Processes  Labour Market Statistics  ICT Portal  ICT Cluster Development  Youth Internship Program  Black ICT SMME Development

Namibia “Our vision is that Namibia will be an industrialised state by 2030, with a significant improvement in the essential quality of life of all Namibians.”

Namibia's ICT Policy Process:  NICI Process commenced in 1998  Telecommunication Framework 1999  Draft ICT Policy tabled 2001  Far-sighted Minister of Information

Namibian Priorities for Implementation  Enhance rural access to information  Grow and stabilise the ICT professional community  Facilitate excellent ICT public education, especially in schools  Foster e-commerce, e-business and e-government  Strengthen the existing ICT infrastructure  Create an ICT Cluster

Critical Success Factors  A strong national body with committed leadership to guide the implementation of ICT Policy  A detailed implementation plan that – defines indicators against which to measure success –lays out practical growth steps towards achievable targets –names responsible parties –and sets realistic timelines

Rwanda

Rwanda: Vision 2020  To develop Rwanda into a middle income country by Year 2020 (current GDP per capita is $200)  To modernize the Rwandan economy and society using ICTs as an engine for: –accelerated development and economic growth –national prosperity –global competitiveness

Rwanda  1998: ICT Policy process commenced  2000: ICT Policy tabled and endorsed by President Kagame  2001: First 5-year $500 million Plan tabled (400 pages)  Presidential Drive for Rwanda to become a Regional Services Centre

Other Countries  Mozambique –National ICT Commission in place –2000: ICT Policy accepted by government –2001: Implementation Process in the making –Driven by Prime Minister  Tanzania –1997: Started an ICT policy process –1997: Published a telecommunications policy –2000: eThinkTank launched –2001: First attempts to initiate ICT Policy process

Tanzanian Internet Cafes

Similarities and Differences  All believe in the potential of ICT  All emphasize human resource development  All espouse high level collaboration  All struggle to marry public and private role-players  All are small enough to contemplate national initiatives  Some set seriously unrealistic goals  Some use ICT as a political lever  Policy process –The grand plan –Multiple plans –Targeted interventions “critical success factors”

The Emperor’s New Clothes?  Expensive  Take a long time  No follow through to implementation  Long on assessments but very short on visible results  The process is getting bogged down

Other Concerns  Lack of insight into dynamics of ICT usage  No cumulative tradition of research  No coordination of initiatives  Donor-Driven Agenda