| Population (millions) |
47.59 (2006) |
| Literacy rate |
82.4 (2006) |
| Gross national product per capita |
5050 US$ (2005) |
| Households with TV |
59 (2005) |
| Radios per 1000 people |
324.7 (1997) |
| Telephone mainlines per 100 people |
9.97 (2006) |
| Mobile subscribers per 100 people |
83.33 (2006) |
| Personal computers per 1000 people |
82 (2004) |
| Internet subscribers per 100 people |
9.02 (2006) |
This page collects news, documentation, resources, events
news and information about organisations all related to ICT policy in South Africa.
Recommended reading will automatically appear on this page and is marked with
a star.
The editors review a wide variety of news and other sources
to collect this material, however sometimes ICT development and/or debate is
very limited in a country and so information available will be scarce. APC tries
to remedy this situation by commissioning reports. Contact
us if you have a suggestion.
Sort information by country and by theme To
see information related to South Africa on a particular theme, choose the
theme you want from the 'theme' list on the left.
On South Africa in the APC Monitor
View all news on South Africa
 South Africa: How can feminists use ICTs to their advantage? 
16/02/2008 (APC) --
The first-ever Feminist Tech eXchange (FTX) held recently in Cape Town brought together more than 100 activists from around the globe. Organised by the APC women’s programme in the run up to the massive women’s movement forum AWID, the capacity-building and information-exchange event explored various technologies such as video, audio, social networking platforms and other emerging ICT tools.
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SOUTH AFRICA: Shuttleworth launches telecoms advocacy focus
04/03/2008 () --
Improving access to telecommunications in South Africa is as much a policy challenge and it is a technical challenge. This is according to The Shuttleworth Foundation’s Steve Song who was speaking at the launch of the foundation’s four new focus areas, one of them being telecoms. Song said there are three key areas of telecommunications focus for the foundation: the democratisation of telecommunications, connected cities and policy issues.
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Nokia launches recycling initiative in East Africa
06/04/2008 () --
Nokia has launched a recycling initiative in East Africa that offers consumers a structured way to dispose of old mobile phones and accessories. The move comes amid fears that cast-off mobile phones are posing an increasing risk of hazardous toxic chemicals in the developing world.
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'Tow the line' APC tells Telkom
07/04/2008 () --
APC has called on South Africa's regulator to take immediate action to counter the anti-competitive behaviour of Telkom, the country's fixed-line operator. “Telkom’s sole control of submarine fibre-optic cables such as the SAT3/WASC/SAFE undersea cable, the landing station at Melkbosstrand, as well as the land-based fibre optic cables has resulted in anti-competitive practices and consequent exploding telecommunication costs,” it said in a statement.
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Microsoft's latest anti-hack tactic
21/04/2008 (Techarp) --
Microsoft has released an "update" that checks if your version of Windows is licensed. If not, your system will be disabled. Activists say the anti-piracy download dressed up as an update is nothing less than spyware.
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APC supports call against more chemicals in PCs
05/05/2008 (APC) --
APC is supporting environmentalists’ calls for South Africa to oppose moves to increase the use of fire retardant chemicals in electronics. More chemicals could increase the difficulty and danger in recycling electronic waste, or e-waste, and may pose serious health risks to consumers.
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Global call to back free and open standards
19/05/2008 (Tectonic) --
The Digital Standards Organization (Digistan) and its supporters are calling on governments around the globe to use only free and open standards. The organisation, which was set up to defend and promote open digital standards, plans to adopt the Hague Declaration on May 21. Organisations and individuals supporting the effort are also being asked to sign the declaration.
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Breeding toxins from dead PCs
13/06/2008 (Guardian) --
The dumping of the developed world's electronic trash, or e-waste, is in direct contravention of international legislation and is causing serious health problems for inhabitants of the shanty towns that have sprung up amid the smouldering dumps in Lagos and Accra. The Guardian's Richard Wray reports.
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e-WASTE: First round to the environment at the IEC
13/06/2008 () --
A majority in the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) has rejected a move to put more flame-retardant chemicals in electronics. But environmentalists caution that one battle has not won the war on environmentally hazardous technology.
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SOUTH AFRICA: Industry furious after blunder over Telkom
02/07/2008 (mybroadband.co.za) --
Telkom SA has avoided a punishing R3,7 billion fine for anticompetitive behaviour after a high court ruled that the Competition Commission cannot refer a complaint against the operator to the Competition Tribunal.
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No information found
Social networks: Activists move in...
06/03/2009 --
Facebook is not just a way to get back in touch with old classmates from school or see what your “friends” are up to. Activists around the world are taking advantage of this new virtual space to expand their reach and establish more immediate and interactive contact with individuals and organisations from an ever wider range of backgrounds. ITeM, an APC member in Uruguay, talked with APCNoticias about how it is using this web-based tool, and shared some practical advice for others who are experimenting with social networks and other Web 2.0 tools.
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South Africa: Building rural legal capacity through ICTs
03/03/2009 --
APC members have been preaching the importance of bundling capacity building with technology projects for a long time. Last year, Ungana-Afrika demonstrated the value of this approach in their work in rural South Africa with under-resourced paralegal advice offices just getting connected to the internet for the first time.
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Survey of e-learning in Africa
03/03/2009 --
According to this 10-page report, e-learning is in its infancy in Africa; but the evidence suggests that there is nevertheless considerable enthusiasm for the potential that it offers across the educational spectrum, not only for universities and schools, but also for vocational training, for lifelong learning, and for marginalised groups such as street children and those with disabilities.
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South Africa: Life after Vodacom
03/03/2009 --
What does the future hold for Telkom once it sheds its stake in Vodacom? Business Day's Leslie Stones investigates.
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Fibre: 'Arteries of the modern world'
18/09/2008 --
They are the arteries of the modern world. Stretching for tens of thousands of miles over the ocean beds, the vast web of intercontinental submarine cables have brought the possibility of cheap high-speed internet and clear long-distance telephone calls to all major parts of the globe. Except one.
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New policy framework tool
04/02/2008 --
A new publication offers policymakers in emerging markets a framework to enable them to provide sustainable and workable solutions to the challenges of digital inclusion. The publication was commissioned by LIRNE.NET as part of its World Dialogue on Regulation for Network Economies programme.
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Work together, minister tells software vendors
07/04/2008 --
"I would like to appeal to vendors to listen to the demands of consumers as well as Free Software developers. Please work together to produce interoperable document standards. The proliferation of multiple standards in this space is confusing and costly..." The full text of the address by South Africa's minister of public service and administration, Geraldine Fraser-Moleketi, at the third Idlelo open source conference in Dakar.
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