Towards a Sustainable Development View of ICT-based Local Content in South Africa Steve Vosloo

Project brief Sponsored by IISD and IDRC (Canada) In 6 developing countries it aims: –To integrate the visions of the emerging IS with the principles and priorities of the UN's MDG and WSSD –To foster interaction between the national SD and IS policy communities Outcome: workshops, research paper (book)

Overview South Africa Forthcoming e-strategy Local content Sustainable development Engagement

South Africa Apartheid legacy: post 1994 … Issues: –Population: 44 million –Chronic income/wealth inequality, along spatial and racial biases –30% households have no electricity –15% households have no toilet facility –30% unemployment –Half live below poverty line (US$1.8/day) Cultural diversity: 11 official languages, many peoples

Languages in SA StatsSA 2003

ICT penetration in SA Radio: 75% of households TV: 50% of households PCs: White households: 46% Black African, Indian, Coloured: 2% (Census 2001) Internet: (approx.) 10% of population have access

Telephone density

National e-strategy Presidential National Commission on Information Society and Development (PNC on ISAD) working on: ISAD Plan and Implementation Strategy 1.To create a clear national IS vision for SA to which national, provincial and local govt should align their ICT strategies 2.To ensure coordination of ICT policies 3.To maximise the use of ICTs for development in SA

National e-strategy (cont.) ICT Infrastructure Devp Local content SMMEs E-Govt E-Education E-Health Human Resources Devp Applications Policy Environment

Local content What is local content? –“The expression of the locally owned and adapted knowledge of a community – where the community is defined by its location, culture, language, or area of interest” (Ballantyne 2002) SA focus on arts, culture, heritage and IK Influences: SA history, WSIS But what about SD-focus in SA?

But … SA has strong SD focus Constitution, laws, policies, IDPs Signatory to Agenda 21, MD, WSSD, WSIS “Sustainable development means the integration of social, economic and environmental factors into planning, implementation and decision-making so as to ensure that development serves present and future generations” (National Environmental Management Act 1998)

Problem! Culture focus means local content loses its SD impact Health, education, job creation, environment, agriculture, etc. all have local content

Key message … Local content is a fundamental building block of SD

Cape Gateway

OKN Mobile

Mindset

Engagement 2 half-day workshops: CT and Jhb Academia: Cape Peninsula University of Technology Government: PNC, CeI, DEADP CSOs: Empowerment for African Sustainable Development, Environmental Justice Network Forum, Open Knowledge Network, SANGONeT, Bridges.org, Mindset

Impact Point was acknowledged Will receive FINAL draft soon Continue to advise PNC on LC issues

Thank You Steve Vosloo