The Tel.Com Africa 2000 exhibition at Gallagher Estate was opened this morning during a short ceremony by communications minister Ivy Matsepe-Casaburri. She will also deliver the keynote address at the first plenary session tomorrow.
"This conference could not have come at a better time," Matsepe-Casaburri said at the opening. "It comes at a time when the [telecommunications] sector is undergoing rapid transformation." She noted that telecommunications accounts for 4% of the South African gross domestic product.
"We must move into a knowledge-based society by providing telecommunications and ICT [information and communications technology] infrastructure."
During his opening address at the small to medium enterprise workshop that is being hosted by the exhibition, trade and industry minister Alec Erwin promised that his department will become more supportive of IT start-ups.
"[The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI)] has traditionally supported manufacturing activities," Erwin said. "Up until now those of you in IT would not have qualified for some of the programmes in DTI."
Stressing the importance of the IT industry, he promised that the department would broaden its scope later this year to include service industries like IT, in collaboration with the communications ministry. Programmes include providing access to financing through financial institutions and the provision of support, information and advice to small businesses.
Both Erwin and Matsepe-Casaburri indicated that rural community communications facilities will be adapted to allow access to more information. "We must streamline our access to communities," Erwin said. "We need a more standardised way to reach out to communities and provide them with the information they need." According to Matsepe-Casaburri, such centres have been "re-conceptualised" to allow better access to information.
The conference and exhibition is on at Gallagher Estate until Friday.
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