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Modderfontein to become smart city

Staff Writer
By Staff Writer, ITWeb
Johannesburg, 22 Apr 2014
Mike an den Bergh is former chief executive of Gateway Communications, which Vodacom sold to PCCW Global for $26m in 2012.
Mike an den Bergh is former chief executive of Gateway Communications, which Vodacom sold to PCCW Global for $26m in 2012.

PCCW Global, the Hong Kong-headquartered international operating division of Hong Kong-based telecommunications service provider HKT, will provide technology to turn Modderfontein into a smart city.

Modderfontein, based in Johannesburg's East Rand, is being developed into a new city centre.

The 1 600-hectare development will include nine functional zones: the central business district, international conference and exhibition centre, entertainment centre, silver industry and retirement community, international residential community, comprehensive education district, sports centre, trade and logistic park, as well as a light industry park.

Shanghai Zendai, an urban complex developer specialising in commercial real estate from mainland China, has signed PCCW up to provide technology and telecommunications services, skills and experience to assist in Zendai's development of the smart city.

The project will house around 30 000 families and create about 200 000 fixed jobs for the local community, which will help enhance the social development and economic prosperity of South Africa, says PCCW in a statement.

PCCW will provide Zendai with a range of services, including systems development and solutions integration, application development and management, telecommunications and information technology services, cloud computing services and e-commerce solutions, it says.

Mike van den Bergh, PCCW Global's MD of HKT Global Development Services, says: "With this project, Zendai aims to build the biggest business hub in South Africa, and to be a part of that is an exciting prospect." HKT's fibre-to-the-home network covers about 79% of all Hong Kong households.

The development is expected to become a hub for Chinese firms investing in sub-Saharan Africa, as well as for those seeking to do business with China, and for people working and interacting with such companies, says PCCW.

Du Wenhui, Shanghai Zendai's senior VP, adds the smart city to be built at Modderfontein Zendai will be on par with the most advanced and innovative developments in the world.

Van den Bergh is former chief executive of Gateway Communications. PCCW Global paid Vodacom $26 million to acquire Gateway - a provider of interconnection satellite services and terrestrial network infrastructure for African and intercontinental telcos.

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