As South Africa prepares to host the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Telecom World 2018, the Department of Telecommunications and Postal Services (DTPS) and its sponsoring partners aim to bolster investment in the country, and the rest of Africa, by showcasing homegrown talent.
Addressing media on Friday prior to the event, to be held from September 10 to 13 in Durban, Telecommunications and Postal Services Minister Dr Siyabonga Cwele said that hosting ITU 2018 will show the world that South Africa is open for business and provide a platform to attract investment.
“We shall use the platform to attract new investment into the country towards the President’s target of $100-billion in investment over the next five years,” he said, highlighting the ambitions of migrating the continent from information and communication technology (ICT) consumers to producers of ICT innovations and solutions.
More than 7 000 delegates, including 39 Ministers, are expected to convene during the four-day conference, which is themed 'Innovation for a Smarter Digital Development'.
“It [the ITU 2018] is a World Cup of the best ideas in the technology sector and the best ideas are those that will impact the majority of the world,” he added.
The conference aims to deliver economic development and foster social good through its exhibition for digital solutions, and forum for sharing knowledge and networking.
Innovators and entrepreneurs from South Africa and the rest of the Africa will have an opportunity to showcase their capabilities, share their innovations and position themselves at the cutting edge of technology to attract investment in intellectual property.
Over 50 small, medium-sized and microenterprises in the ICT sector will exhibit at the conference with the support of the DTPS and its partners.
The event is hosted in partnership with the ITU, the KwaZulu-Natal provincial government, the City of eThekwini and several sponsors, including MTN as host country partner.