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Open data, service delivery partnerships in focus at GovTech 2015

By Tracy Burrows, ITWeb contributor.
Johannesburg, 13 Oct 2015

GovTech 2015 is set to be staged in Durban from 25-28 October 2015, with a focus on key topical issues such as open government data and partnerships for public service delivery.

Hosted annually by the State Information Technology Agency (SITA), GovTech will mark its 10th anniversary this year in bringing together government and the ICT industry on a multi-layered platform that enables: connecting, learning, sharing and collaborating, and also looks set to attract a record crowd, says SITA deputy CEO Mboneli Ndlangisa.

"GovTech has grown steadily over the years, typically attracting around 1 500 delegates a year in the past few years. However, the high level of registrations we have received so far indicate that we can expect over 2 000 delegates at GovTech 2015."

Among the delegates, there is a steadily growing international participation, he notes. Delegates from SADC states, neighbouring countries and countries abroad travel to GovTech to engage with public sector stakeholders and learn from the best thought leaders. Ndlangisa attributes this increase in local and international participation to a number of factors: "This is the only South African event of its kind that focuses purely on the public sector. It presents a unique opportunity for local and international delegates to get thought leadership and strategic insights from key ICT players in the South African public sector," he notes. "This is where the government outlines its strategies relating to ICTs." In addition, the high-level closed executive sessions staged at GovTech often serve as a starting point for future government ICT innovation and new programmes. These sessions see ministerial delegates, academics and industry experts discussing new and applicable technologies and ICT models best suited to delivering on public sector mandates.

With the new National ICT Forum underlining the government's view that ICT is a critical and fundamental pillar necessary to drive development in SA, the questions raised among public sector stakeholders include how best to harness ICTs, and which tools and strategies to use. GovTech aims to answer these questions, through workshops, plenary sessions and an expo area showcasing key solutions and services, under the event theme: Partnering for service delivery: Connecting communities for development and growth.

Among the highlights at the event will be the second annual ICT Service Delivery and Transformation Awards, recognising excellence in the use of technology to improve the lives of all citizens. The awards will be presented during a gala dinner at GovTech in categories including: National Government, Provincial Government, Local Government, Start-Ups and SMMEs up to R10 million, Companies > R10 million, Women in ICT Award, and Youth in ICT Award. Nominations and entries were submitted before 9 October.

GovTech 2015 will be sponsored by Telkom, with a broad range of enterprises participating in the expo, including MTN, Vodacom, Mocrosoft, CEOS, Mustek and Securedata. Ndlangisa says many of the top sponsors participate in GovTech every year, which gives them a unique opportunity to showcase their solutions to the public sector and engage with a large number of high level public sector stakeholders in a single space.

For more information about GovTech 2015, go to https://www.govtech.co.za.

To benefit from a sponsorship opportunity, contact Mickey Ndebele on +27 12 482 2392 or govtechsponsorship@sita.co.za.

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Tracy Burrows
GovTech