Telecommunications and postal services deputy minister, Hlengiwe Mkhize, will this week deliver a keynote address on the role of ICT for inclusive socio-economic development at AfricaCom 2015.
Now in its 18th year, AfricaCom is Africa's largest telecoms and technology conference and exhibition.
Mkhize will discuss the role of government in developing progressive ICT policies and regulatory frameworks that can unlock the real potential of ICT for citizens, reads a statement.
Access to the Internet is a basic necessity for more than just business, education and service delivery, but also for survival and individual self-respect, according to Mkhize.
She says: "Connectivity has demonstrated its ability to ignite socio-economic development time and again. We need to expand existing infrastructure and introduce new technologies to connect our citizens, especially those in rural areas... Connected regions will produce the increased economic growth that a thriving information society drives."
"Governments have a unique role to play in supporting telecommunications, digital and ICT development. Professor Mkhize's keynote speech will highlight the economic and social importance of the sector in Africa, a message that is at the heart of AfricaCom," notes Julie Rey-Gore, research director at Informa Telecoms & Media.
AfricaCom is on from 17 to 19 November, at the Cape Town International Convention Centre.
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