Local Content and PNC Priority Areas

It is equally important to demonstrate the cross cutting nature of local content as far as other sector of the Presidential National Commission on Information Society and Development (PNC on ISAD) are concerned. The diversification nature of South African society requires that content be developed accordingly. There are basic elements that require attention when local content is provided in other sectors. Despite the fact that English is recognised as the language of commerce and science, it was spoken by only 8, 2% of South Africans at home in 2001, an even lower percentage than in 1996 (8, 6%). By contrast, nearly a quarter of the population gave isiZulu as their home language. This is more than for the five least-spoken official home languages (Sesotho, Xitsonga, siSwati, Tshivenda and isiNdebele) put together (19%). This demonstrates that African languages are dominant in the country.

South African government websites provide documents that are relevant for everyday life of the citizens from social grants forms, employment forms, tax returns etc. The provision of government information to South African citizens has then become very critical to the livelihood of the people of the country. It is then important that these websites do not further create the digital divide by not providing information that does not reflect South African language.

It a Human Right to have access to information that is relevant to your language as this is also upheld by the constitution as the supreme law of the country. E-government will not be beneficial to South African citizens if there are language barriers in accessing the relevant information. Issues of affordability to download government information also come into place as access goes beyond Internet access facilities but whether it is affordable to download documents.

Primary health care has been recognised as one developmental factor to ensure South African citizens receive proper health care. Provision of health information differs from one province to another as well in different district to district. How do we then as a country we ensure that we tailor information provision channels to be relevant from different communities from languages, use of familiar concepts, and incorporation of the indigenous knowledge information to the mainstream of health information.

Cost of technology is beyond reach even for people that are perceived to be middle income earners. This therefore perpetuates the digital divide in the country between the haves and have not. South Africa has entrepreneurs that are not part of the mainstream SMME and part of an inclusive information society is to ensure that the use of Information and Communication Technologies benefits all South African entrepreneurs to develop their businesses. As mentioned earlier on the access to ICT is very expensive. Introducing alternative technologies that would reduce the cost of ICT are critical for growth and efficiency of SMME. If the country can invest in the development of indigenous technology that would relate to South Africa’s situation especially in terms of languages then all the SMME in the country including informal will have access to ICT.

The relevance of local content and education is very important in this country given the history of the country where other sections of the society were oppressed. This was also demonstrated in the promotion of culture, heritage and art. Education curriculum especially history reflected other heroes which other South African children did not identify with. It also elevated everything that was western at the expense of the local history and pride. Areas like indigenous knowledge were never recognised in the education system. In the building of information it is then critical for the education system to reflect the diversity of the country by integrating into the curriculum South African art, cultures, heritage and our indigenous knowledge.

It is acknowledged that the development of the South African local content sector has remarkable potential that is likely to unlock a number of social and economic opportunities in the promotion of arts, tourism and culture, multilingualism, heritage development, innovation and the production of software and hardware for IKS.

There are currently many initiatives at various stages of implementation. Lessons learnt from these projects should be shared widely to develop a growing knowledge base on local content development and promotion. In some instances these projects may have commercial value that can be exploited so that revenues that are generated can be reinvested in future projects of a similar nature.