Telecom

South Africa partners with Huawei to accelerate development of the digital economy

South Africa partners with Huawei to accelerate development of the digital economy
Wednesday, 30 August 2023 21:24

The South African government is stepping up initiatives to accelerate broadband coverage as part of its digital transformation ambitions. The executive is currently negotiating with operator Telkom to provide broadband connectivity services to the population.

Last week, the South African Department of Communications and Digital Technologies (DCDT) and Huawei South Africa launched a joint initiative to accelerate the development of the digital economy in the rainbow nation.

The partnership focuses on two key areas. These are improving the deployment of broadband infrastructure and building the skills and capabilities of South Africa's small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The cooperation also covers other areas such as the growth of the digital economy, industrial digitization, cloud, and skills development in the telecommunications field.

This initiative is part of a wider cooperation agreement signed between the two parties earlier this month. It will see Huawei share with the South African government global best practices for digital economy policy planning and technology deployments, among others.

The collaboration between the DCDT and Huawei comes on top of the various actions undertaken by the South African government to accelerate the country's broadband coverage as part of its digital transformation ambitions. The executive revealed last July that it plans to connect 1.7 million homes to broadband Internet over the next few years. Negotiations are underway with public and private entities, including telecom operator Telkom, to implement the program.

In February 2022, the government approved the implementation of the second phase of "South Africa Connect (SA Connect)", the national broadband policy launched in 2013. This phase aims to provide 80% of public administrations, communities, and homes with broadband access within three years.

"Huawei and DCDT are both optimistic about the future of the country's digital transformation process, and our partnership agreement will go a long way towards ensuring that ICT drives the economy forward, taking every citizen with it," said Will Meng, CEO of Huawei South Africa.

Isaac K. Kassouwi

On the same topic
5G penetration in Sub-Saharan Africa stands at 1.2% despite $28 billion in operator investments over five years. High smartphone and data plan...
• One Network Area to slash roaming costs for mobile data—just $0.005/MB—making cross-border internet access as cheap as home.• New tech like e-SIMs...
• The campaign will run from September 2025 to September 2026 across all 16 regions.• The government inaugurated the Ghana Association of Privacy...
• Tunisia will launch 138 digital transformation projects between 2025 and 2026, covering administration, economy, cybersecurity, and infrastructure.•...
Most Read
01

From Dakar to Nairobi, Kampala to Abidjan, mobile money has become a lifeline for millions of Africa...

Africa's Boundless Future: How a simple mobile phone became a pocket bank for millions
02

Malawi votes in high-stakes presidential election Tuesday Economic crisis, inflation dominate vot...

Malawi’s Election Puts Incumbent Chakwera to the Test on Inflation and Fuel Shortages
03

Airtel Gabon, Moov sign deal to share telecom infrastructure Agreement aims to cut costs, boo...

Gabon’s Airtel, Moov to Share Towers Under Govt-Brokered Deal
04

Vision Invest invests $700m in Arise IIP, Africa’s largest private infrastructure deal in 202...

Saudi Arabia’s 2025 Shopping List Now Includes Industrial Parks in Africa — With a $700 Million Entry Ticket
05

Even though it remains the smallest "crypto-economy" in the world, sub-Saharan Africa shows that vir...

Sub-Saharan Africa Crypto Transactions Up 52% to $205B on Inflation, Inclusion Push
Enter your email to receive our newsletter

Ecofin Agency provides daily coverage of nine key African economic sectors: public management, finance, telecoms, agribusiness, mining, energy, transport, communication, and education.
It also designs and manages specialized media, both online and print, for African institutions and publishers.

SALES & ADVERTISING

regie@agenceecofin.com 
Tél: +41 22 301 96 11 
Mob: +41 78 699 13 72


EDITORIAL
redaction@agenceecofin.com

More information
Team
Publisher

ECOFIN AGENCY

Mediamania Sarl
Rue du Léman, 6
1201 Geneva
Switzerland

 

Ecofin Agency is a sector-focused economic news agency, founded in December 2010. Its web platform was launched in June 2011. ©Mediamania.

 
 

Please publish modules in offcanvas position.