South African ICT developments are progressing at an excruciatingly slow pace - this was the impression given by trade and industry minister Mandisi Mpahlwa yesterday.
Addressing a media briefing yesterday, in Pretoria, via a video link-up to Parliament, Mpahlwa spoke for 90 minutes on what the economic cluster of ministries had presented at the Cabinet lekgotla held two weeks ago.
The economic cluster of ministries includes the departments of trade and industry, finance, communications, public enterprises and mineral and energy affairs. Mpahlwa presented on behalf of all.
Information given yesterday was similar to that presented at a press briefing in early July, which, in turn, differed little from similar briefings earlier this year.
The one major difference was that this time Mpahlwa spoke a little about the broadcasting digital migration policy, saying "...progress has been made to finalise the policy". Last week, communications minister Ivy Matsepe-Casaburri stated Cabinet had approved a framework for the policy and that switch on of the digital broadcasting signal would go ahead on 1 November.
Mpahlwa repeated past statements that this strategy would ensure local manufacturers would have access to the opportunities created by this migration and it would be a catalyst for the development of the electronics industry.
His department is responsible for spearheading government's strategy to encourage the growth of the business processing outsourcing industry, because of its ability to create employment.
According to Mpahlwa, 10 000 jobs have been created nationally in the sector over the past year and this includes incentive packages for companies to establish call centres in rural areas.
He mentioned that seven companies have been granted permission to set up operations under the scheme, but, once again, only named one, Teletech.
Mpahlwa noted that a 600-seat call centre was being set up in Bloemfontein, but stated it was only a pilot project at the moment and currently employed few people.
He repeated statements made in July concerning government's flagship cable project Broadband Infraco reserving manufacturing slots for its African West Coast Cable, that Nigeria and Kenya were in discussions to join the Department of Communications' Uhurunet project to lay a fibre-optic ring around the African continent, and that guidelines for the rapid deployment of electronic communications had been gazetted and comments were being incorporated.
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