South Africa will in June host inaugural ICT Indaba scheduled to discuss and analyze international models essential for boosting the development of Africa’s ICT sector.
The 4-day conference, organised by the Department of Communications (DoC), has since received a boost following an endorsement from the International Telecommunications Union (ITU).
South Africa’s minister of communications Dina Pule said The International Telecommunications Union’s (ITU) endorsement gave the ICT Indaba 2012 a deserved and truly global feel.
The minister explained Africa’s has an estimated population of almost one billion people making the continent one of the most significant markets especially since it has low levels of telecommunications penetration.
The conference that aims to formulate an African Agenda to promote ICT as a catalyst for social and economic development on the continent, Pule said, would seek to ensure that ICT fulfilled its potential as of triggering economic growth and job creation, not only in South Africa but throughout the continent.
According to Pule, South Africa’s ICT industry is the twentieth-largest in the world, accounting for 0.5 percent of worldwide ICT revenue.
The 2012 ICT Indaba will bring together delegates from Africa, Europe, Asia, and South America, including ICT executives and government representatives.
DoC said ICT regulators from more than 50 African countries have also been invited.
Keynote speakers slated for the event include ITU deputy secretary-general Houlin Zhao, expected to present a paper on the role of ICTs in socio-economic development.
Other speakers include Sam Mensah, the Africa Director of Intel Capital and Zaki Khoury among other international technological experts expected to discuss strategies for entrepreneurship, as well as forecast the future of technology in Africa and the world over the next 15-20 years.
The event is scheduled to take place at Cape International Convention Centre in Cape Town, South Africa.
South Africa’s ICT industry is the 20th largest in the world, accounting for 0.5 percent of worldwide ICT revenue.
