Towards a Sustainable Development View of ICT-based Local Content

in South Africa

Steve Vosloosteve@molotech.org.za

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

L

oca

l co

nte

nt

S

MM

Es

E

-Go

vt

E

-Ed

uca

tio

n

E

-Hea

lth

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

www.capegateway.gov.za

OKN Mobile

www.oknmobile.com

Mindset

www.mindset.co.za

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

steve@molotech.org.za

www.molotech.org.za