Government wants to acquire appropriate space-based systems to enable South Africa's independent access to space and promote wider socio-economic benefits. The minister of trade and industry, Mandisi Mpahlwa, has launched the South African National Space Policy, in Pretoria.
The minister asserted that space technology, such as communications satellites, created the opportunity for developing countries to bypass certain stages of development and attain a more rapid trajectory of progress.
The policy had been approved by the cabinet in December and would be administered by the department of trade and industry. The department hoped to have a draft policy implementation plan in place by the end of March.
Government wanted to acquire space-based systems to facilitate wider socio-economic benefits such as the reduction of poverty and higher economic growth. Such technology would also make possible South Africa's “independent access to space”.
According to the minister, the newly introduced space policy would provide a necessary legal framework. “It is in this regard that we are proud that we now have a policy that provides guidance to all South African public and private sector stakeholders undertaking space activities, and encourage better co-ordination and co-operative governance among the stakeholders,” he said.
The minister also announced that his department was busy formulating a space industry framework. The process to create the framework would entail assessing current local capacity and potential for space related industries.
Government wanted to stimulate the creation of a competitive domestic space industry. Attention would also be focused on established local industries such as aerospace, defence, electronics, avionics and ICT to investigate potential synergies.
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