The annual Govtech conference will kick start in Durban this week. This is the first time in 14 years since its inception that business and industry experts from other African countries will attend the event.
Government and ICT experts will meet to collaborate, and share experiences, challenges and solutions that can showcase the power of technology to improve service delivery and enhance economic growth.
More than 2 500 delegates are expected to attend this year’s GovTech Conference. State Information Technology Agency (SITA) says they registered a record number of exhibitors and delegates.
One such exhibitor is Ahkeel James, head of sales at Take Note Technologies. He has registered to attend this year’s GovTech conference in Durban.
His company has invented a new technology that will help curb the high rate of copper theft. The device alerts authorities when copper vandalism is in progress. He is hopeful entities like Transnet, PRASA, Telkom and anyone that deals with copper infrastructure will be keen to do business with them.
“We have been invited to be part of the SMME exhibition, we want to drive awareness in the copper cable theft industry, obviously not for them to steal more and stop cable theft from happening and take note is a device to deter cable theft. The device is buried underneath the ground and when the thieves try to steal before they hit the copper cable they will trigger our device,” says James.
Acting MD of SITA, Molatlhegi Kgauwe says GovTech will offer R200 000 in prizes to participants who showcase the best solutions for Africa’s socio-economic challenges using digital technology.
“If you compare to the previous conferences, the conferences were limited to the borders of South Africa, where in this 2022 conference Govtech will become more inclusive which becomes an African ICT conference and this is really through the guidance of our shareholder, the minister Khumbudzo Ntshavheni which gave us a strategic direction to ensure that we make Govtech an African event,” says Kgauwe.
Increasing the use of digital technologies in public service work post covid, assessing how digital solutions can boost economies, and supporting SME development will be some of the key topics to be discussed.
The burning issues around cyber security and digital privacy, digital inclusion, and pan-African collaboration will also feature in round table discussions.
SITA says global leaders in technology will attend the event to assist and share knowledge with various government departments.
“There is quite a broad spectrum of items that will be discussed and central to that is we eventually improve the service delivery to our citizens, ranging from how to ensure that it is digitally inclusive artificial intelligence, we discuss the collaboration between the public sector and the private sector. The private sector can showcase their products and services that will ensure that we attend to some of the current challenges we are currently experiencing within the different spheres of government,” says Kgauwe adds.
South Africa currently has a shortage of more than 70 000 ICT professionals. ICT graduates are on the decline. The Minister of education will be attending the conference to address this issue.
Reshaping the citizen experience through enhancing service delivery and Africa’s efforts in the 4th Industrial revolution will be this year’s theme.
Zambia’s minister of Science and Technology and representatives from Microsoft, MTN and Vodacom will also attend the event.
