1. Steve Vosloo steve@molotech.org.za
Towards a Sustainable Development View of ICT-based Local Content in South Africa
Steve Vosloo

2. 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)
SD has been around for much longer than IS. It has a rich body of knowledge, strong CSOs, solid research material, strong networks, sectoral policies and laws, clear agendas to which everyone is working.
IS (based on ICTs) is relatively new, difficult to define, not easy to promote (starving populace: internet access vs food to eat!) or motivate for (a neighbouring country with bad air pollution is a serious and immediate problem, one with poor internet connectivity is not).
Premise is that IS should draw on SD knowledge where possible, and strive to meet SD goals.

3. Overview South Africa Forthcoming ICT Strategy Local content
Sustainable development
Engagement

4. South Africa Apartheid legacy  democracy in 1994
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
Good things that have happened since 1994:
11% illiteracy (lowest ever)
Low inflation
Limpopo, a rural province where 60% of households were using wood as the main source of energy for cooking, was the worst performing province in terms of education with exactly one third of its population aged 20 and above having no education whatsoever. (StatsSA 2003)

5. 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
Strong ICT penetration in wealthy groups in cities
(Fridge: around 50% of households)

6. Telephone density Mobile: mostly pre-paid
Household stats are misleading:
Lots of people have no landline but a mobile phone. Others who had a landline have discontinued it because they now only have mobile phones.
People have access to PCs/Internet at work, school or university, e.g. Ndumi.
More people live in households in SA than Northern countries
Therefore, individual stats are better for mobile

7. National ICT Strategy
Presidential National Commission on Information Society and Development (PNC on ISaD) working on: ISaD Plan and Implementation Strategy
To create a clear national IS vision for SA to which national, provincial and local govt should align their ICT strategies
To maximise the use of ICTs for development in SA
Also Presidential International Advisory Council on Information Society and Development (PIAC on ISAD)
Due: Nov 2005
Influences:
SA’s existing policies and laws, most with a strong SD focus
Existing ICT policies, e.g. White Paper on e-Education, which explains how to reach the Department of Education’s policy goal, which is for every South African learner in the general and further education and training bands to be ICT capable by 2013
Existing ICT initiatives
NEPAD
WSIS
MDGs
Consultation process
Prov govt
I have formal agreement with PNC to share resources

8. National ICT Strategy (cont.)
Local content
SMMEs
E-Govt
E-Education
E-Health
ICT Infrastructure Devp
Human Resources Devp
Applications …

9. 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
WSIS
Both of these documents speak of the need for ICTs to be used to preserve and foster cultural identity and linguistic diversity through the creation and dissemination of content in local languages and formats, not only for an equitable information society but also for sustainable development.
Principles:
Cultural diversity is the common heritage of humankind. The Information Society should be founded on and stimulate respect for cultural identity, cultural and linguistic diversity, traditions and religions, and foster dialogue among cultures and civilizations.

10. Local content is a fundamental building block of SD
Key message …
Local content is a fundamental building block of SD
I argued that SA has a long tradition of SD and that local content is a key part of SD and thus should have a broader definition than arts, etc. Furthermore, it should NOT be positioned as an equal to the other 4 priority areas because it is fundamental to each of them. I suggested that local content be moved to underneath the priority areas as a Pillar that supports them, along with the existing pillars in the document like infrastructure, human resources development, etc.
Rename LC pillar to Arts & Culture
Create cross-cutting theme called LC
So, the paper showed 3 examples of LC ICT-initiatives with a strong SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT-focus

11. Cape Gateway

12. OKN Mobile

13. Mindset

14. Engagement 2 half-day workshops: CT and Jhb Academia, Government, CSOs
Impact:
Point was acknowledged
“Development” in Country Report is economics focused
Continue to advise PNC on LC issues
Problems encountered:
LC was difficult to define (what is LC, what is IK?)
People with ICT background don’t fully grasp SD and vice versa – much capacity building needed
IS and SD are both fluffy.
Much more research needed in IS as to exactly how it supports SD
Keniston: The Director of MIT India, Ken Keniston (2002), observes that the hope that ICT can be used to solve the as-yet-unsolved problems of development in India “are built almost entirely on an empirical vacuum” because, ultimately, “we know almost nothing about the factors that make for effectiveness or ineffectiveness of grassroots ICT projects in developing nations.”
Plan of Action:
Cultural and linguistic diversity, while stimulating respect for cultural identity, traditions and religions, is essential to the development of an Information Society based on the dialogue among cultures and regional and international cooperation. It is an important factor for sustainable development.

15. Thank You
Steve Vosloo