The Black Information Technology Forum (BITF) will host its national conference from 24 to 26 March at the Indaba Conference Centre in Fourways.
The event has become an annual meeting place for BITF members from all provinces, as well as stakeholders from both government and the private sector.
The focus of this year’s event will be to evaluate the progress of the ICT industry’s BEE charter, and all charter participants are invited, states Motse Mfuleni, BITF general secretary.
The importance of skills and enterprise development will also be highlighted, adds Mfuleni. To this end, the conference will host students from FET colleges to allow them an opportunity to be exposed to ICT professionals.
The keynote address will be delivered by public service and administration minister Richard Baloyi. Other speakers include Gauteng premier Nomvula Mokonyane and State IT Agency chairperson Zodwa Manase.
Speaker topics range from SA’s broadband and telecoms challenges, to the future of e-government in the Gauteng province.
Delegates can expect to take away a different view on how the BITF views enterprise developments, as well as a progress report on the ICT charter and a proposal on how government should re-engineer state ICT assets, notes Mfuleni.
“It is important that we invite ICT organisations to work together with other social partners so that we can jointly close the digital divide that exists among our communities, but also the gap in the economics of the industry among those who where there before and newcomers who are black in majority,” concludes Mfuleni.
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