Recently released statistics show that the Savant Web site received over one million hits between February and October this year. That's an average of over 3 000 a day. What is interesting is that the most active countries visiting Savant, besides visitors from SA, are from the US, UK, France, Australia, Germany, Canada, India and China, among others.
What makes these statistics impressive is that an increasing number of visitors to the Savant Web site go there directly via the Web address, rather than through a search engine. The vast majority go straight to the Savant Web site at savant.co.za with Google, not unexpectedly the most popular search engine followed by the Proudly South African Web site.
This suggests that worldwide communication for the Savant programme is working. People are learning that SA has a very healthy and growing ICT and electronics sector through the different marketing media that the Savant programme uses to showcase SA's capabilities and opportunities in this sector. Even with the strong rand, SA still represents a financially viable investment to international players such as the contact centre industry and there is increasing recognition that not only does the country have the technological infrastructure, but also the capacity to become a substantial member of this growing sector.
The Savant programme was established about 18 months ago to market SA's capability in the ICT and electronics sector. In global terms, the country is largely seen as a developing nation or emerging economy. However, it has a significant pool of innovative and creative people in the ICT and electronics sector. SA has produced a number of ICT and electronics world firsts and it is part of Savant's remit to make sure that opinion leaders worldwide are aware of this.
Savant membership currently stands at over 250 and ranges from international companies in SA, large national organisations such as Telkom, to small businesses, many of which are introducing the most innovative and creative ideas into the ICT and electronics sector.
For South African companies, membership of Savant has many advantages, not the least that it costs nothing to join. Membership opens international doors to expand their business, attend international technology trade shows and exhibitions with assistance from Trade and Investment South Africa, a division within the DTI. Members are featured in the monthly Savant newsletter and are listed on the Savant Web site.
Savant is continually expanding and upgrading its operations to ensure information on the ICT and electronics sector is communicated to clients both locally and abroad. Additional information will enable TISA and Savant to target its marketing initiatives at organisations that are genuinely interested in investing in SA and refine strategies to tell the world that as far as ICTE is concerned, SA is a First World player with enormous potential.
Please visit Savant at http://www.savant.co.za to become part of this initiative and for further information on the ICT and electronics sector.
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