Creative new investment solutions are required to fund ICT infrastructure that can accelerate the roll-out of fast, unlimited Internet and provide low-income households with access to quality and affordable data that can bridge the digital divide.
Infrastructure capital is critical to reducing inequality and poverty and to facilitate the development of the smart cities that President Cyril Ramaphosa announced recently.
Read more: Ways must be found to bring real Internet to South Africa’s poor
A digitally innovative innovative My Smart City platform aims to assist with service delivery issues that municipalities are struggling with.
City spokesperson Luthando Tyhalibongo said as part of the City’s open data strategy, the City made its service request API available to responsible external organisations such as Acumen, which allows external organisations to build their own apps and link these to the City of Cape Town, provided they comply with the City’s security requirements and use the API responsibly.
Read more: ZA: Private sector collaborates with City of Cape Town to fix service delivery issues
The Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (DTIC) has approved R50-million in grant funding towards an estimated R1.5-billion smart city, which will integrate business, retail, commercial, industrial, hospitality and residential land uses that fulfil all requirements of a town in Nkunzama village, Limpopo.
This is according to Trade, Industry and Competition Deputy Minister Nomalungelo Gina, speaking during the official launch of the Nkuna City project by the Masingita Group of Companies in Nkunzana village.
Read more: ZA: DTIC approves R50m grant funding for smart city in Limpopo
The launched kicked off with the smart online bill management service for residential customers, government, companies and managing agents.
In an effort to improve access to municipal customer services, the City of Johannesburg has launched its e-Joburg portal on October 6.
The portal, introduced by Executive Mayor Mpho Moerane and MMC of Finance Matshidiso Mfikoe, is set to deliver municipal services in a more convenient way for customers, and reduce the time and manual work load on the City’s resources.
Read more: ZA: E-Joburg portal will make it easier for ratepayers
The ANC has been working on plans for a new South African smart city between Port St Johns and Margate on the Wild Coast, reports the Sunday Times.
Minister of cooperative governance and traditional affairs Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma presented the plan at the ANC’s national executive committee lekgotla earlier this month.
Read more: New South African smart city planned in unexpected location