26 Aug 2015

Information and Communications Technology (ICT) offers new avenues for economic diversification where production, exchange, distribution and use of information and knowledge are the main drivers of economic growth, employment generation and wealth creation.

Speaking at the beginning of ICT Pitso on Tuesday (August 25), the Minister of Transport and Communications Mr Tshenolo Mabeo said this calls for exploitation of ICT to break into new markets.

“We need to exploit the explosive power of ICT to break into new markets, reach our customers and initiate real time communications with our constituents,” he said.

The minister said ICTs need to be leveraged as platforms upon which new indigenous industries with a competitive edge in the global market will sprout.

He said research has shown a massive transitions by nations from resource based economy to the one driven by information and knowledge.

The Internet has made access to various forms of information through the click of a button, and evolution of technology has allowed for innovation of cheaper devices that can be used to access this information, he said.

“Individuals, organisations and businesses are prospecting, mining and processing this massive information for business intelligence and key decision making process,” he said.

Mr Mabeo said ICTs therefore play a critical role in leveraging indigenous knowledge for wealth and value creation among communities and nations.

He said faster transmission media, high capacity storage and massive investment in technology innovation encourages vertical and horizontal integration of unparalleled new business opportunities.

“It has also placed an imperative demand on organisations to reshape their strategic use of ICTs to achieve competitive advantage by delivering customized services and products tailored to the needs of their customers,” he said.

The minister said according to World Economic Forum (WEF) competition index, Botswana has been slipping in the rankings despite massive investments made by government in ICT infrastructure.

He said this was against the vision the nation set itself in Maitlamo ICT Policy where the country dreamt of setting itself as a globally competitive entity where lasting impact will be made on the social, economic and cultural aspects of Batswana.

The minister said high cost of mobile broadband, low penetration rate for fixed broadband, poor quality of service and customer experience and limited availability of public hotspots are characteristics of the local environment.

“We need to act with speed to mitigate these challenges in order to improve our economic competitiveness and fully exploit opportunities offered by ICTs,” he said. Minister Mabeo said digital literacy should be fast-tracked together with generation of local content.

He called for collaboration between the government, academia and the private sector. Ends