26 Apr 2018

Acting Batawana paramount chief, Kgosi Kealetile Moremi has underscored the need for relevant authorities to ensure connectivity and accessibility of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) for the benefit of the community.

She described ICT as an important aspect that drives economic activities in the country noting that Maun was a tourism hub and administration centre of Ngamiland region hence the need to ensure connection to Internet.

Speaking at the 38th Southern African Telecommunication Association (SATA) annual conference held in Maun which attracted ICT practitioners in the SADC region, she informed the gathering that tourism benefitted from ICT as an enabler of service.

She also revealed that ICT was a tool critical in marketing the regions’ attractions using the various platforms available.

In addition, Kgosi Moremi noted that the platforms could be websites and other social media platforms to display the products, services thereby driving more traffic to the region.

Tourism traffic, she said offered many opportunities for the dwellers of Ngamiland as a source of commercial activities for their livelihoods adding that many entrepreneurs were dependent on the sector through various businesses such as hotels, lodges, safari camps and game drive operators.

She said most lucrative international markets were reached through the Internet and being a part of global booking platforms emphasising the fact that good quality connections enhanced the experience and response time in the competitive landscape.

“We believe most people in the region who make a living out of the resources here can truly improve their lives and move away from poverty by taking advantage of ICT developments,” she added.

Kgosi Moremi said as dikgosi, they were concerned about the prevalence of less privileged and poverty stricken people and believed that ICT in forms of tools such as computer related gadgets coupled with connectivity was one way of providing empowerment through access to information and education as a true benefit of ICT.

Giving brief background about SATA, the association executive secretary, Mr Jacob Munodawafa said the association was formed as a specialised institution that offered a regional ICT platform inclusive of stakeholders from across the telecommunications/ICT sector for networking, knowledge sharing, and industry advancement.

Since its establishment 38 years back, he said the association had been growing stronger and transforming as the industry evolved.

He said the association worked closely with SADC and the member states who created the association to drive the interests of the industry and cooperating partners with regional and international organizations.

“Our members and cooperating partners are not only from SADC but come from all over the world and when you go to world gatherings, SATA also stands out as the voice of the local industry,” he added.

Through the conferences, Mr Munodawafa said they prioritised their work through identification of focus areas, new topics and initiatives making sure that they maintain their momentum and remain at the cutting edge of technological and service development.

He observed that the conference would give members a valuable opportunity to share their vision, exchange experience and promote co-operation between members, overcome the challenges and exploit the opportunities so as to create a better world for their people. ENDS