Growing investment in ICT will see government take a keen interest in the sector, says deputy president Kgalema Motlanthe.
Speaking yesterday at the annual International Trade and Investment Conference, in Sandton, Motlanthe said government is encouraged by increased investment in critical sectors and would introduce more measures to promote growth.
“This [growth] is exemplified in our country's heavy investment in sectors such as mining, electrical power, financial services, and telecommunications and ICT, with an annual average of $1.4 billion since 1991. This means that SA's total trade on the continent has grown almost sevenfold since 1994,” said Motlanthe.
The conference, organised by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), aims to be a platform to promote Africa as a destination for international investments in the energy, tourism, infrastructure, financial services, and telecommunication and ICT sectors.
Motlanthe noted that the DTI had begun the process of developing the ICT sector as part of government's growth objectives and investments in the sector over the past few years exceeded all expectations. Active engagement with local and international business would continue and new business would continue to be developed, he added.
policy has been dedicated to promoting Africa's development. She added that the African Union, Nepad and its e-Africa initiatives had renewed old commitments to build regional integration schemes with a strong development agenda.
“Nepad e-Africa has bolstered the idea of African ownership of Africa's development, as well as the desire to develop the basis for an engagement with powerful donors on equitable terms,” added Mokonyane.
The Nepad e-Africa commission is a collaborative project between governments, companies and citizens, which aims to promote ICT. The commission heads up the e-schools initiative, along with Uhurunet and Umojanet, its major broadband infrastructure network initiatives.
Government has introduced comprehensive measures to counter the negative effects of the economic downturn and ensure investments in the ICT continue to grow, concluded Motlanthe.
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