In South Africa, major metros are investigating the potential that smart city automation technologies have for meeting the needs of an increasingly urbanised population writes Yuri Ramsamy, the product marketing specialist building products at ABB.
A city can be defined as ‘smart’ when investments in human and social capital and traditional transport and modern ICT communication infrastructure fuel boost sustainable economic development, quality of life and equitable management of natural resources.
Read more: ZA: Smart city: Automation of electrical and mechanical building systems
In March 2020 SA faced an unprecedented challenge as a result of the global Covid-19 pandemic. With the imposition of a nationwide lockdown, almost every human endeavour switched from being physical to virtual. For many the conversion was effortless. For others, however, the switch to a predominantly digital world only served to further deepen prevailing divides.
As a corporate social investment (CSI) practitioner with a keen interest in facilitating the active economic participation of people through education, I am constantly struck by the frustratingly slow pace of meaningful change in many South Africans’ lives. Notwithstanding the grave socioeconomic implications of certain Covid-19 decisions, the pandemic provides an opportunity for meaningful engagement around innovative options to bring about much-needed, broader societal transformation.
Read more: ZA: Bridging the digital divide in public education is a collective effort
The eThekwini Municipality is South Africa’s second-largest economy after Johannesburg and is home to 3.5 million people. In this thriving city, data cost is a major factor affecting the proliferation of Internet access among the majority of residents. The eThekwini government has noticed this and recognized that free public Wi-Fi would bring many benefits to its residents.
As such, the eThekwini government launched a three-year public Wi-Fi construction plan to provide convenient and accessible Internet to the public, empowering more citizens to enjoy the beauty of the digital world. According to the plan, in the next three years, approximately 450 public Wi-Fi hotspots will be available in eThekwini, covering 96 public libraries and the landmark Moses Mabhida Stadium, as well as tourism and business centers, including aquariums, seafronts, and the uShaka Marine World.
Read more: ZA: eThekwini Pioneers a Smart City with Free Public Wi-Fi
Innovative tools are needed to realise the construction of SA’s first 5G-ready smart city
Before Covid-19 relegated most of society to the confines of their homes, the fourth industrial revolution (4IR) sought to bring digital transformation to the masses beyond online classes and work-from-home. Across businesses, digital transformation became the new buzz phrase, describing the potential of technology to rebuild entire industries.
Read more: ZA: Digital transformation could give built environment industry a solid foundation
According to Carshif Talip, expertise leader, Urban Planning and Land Infrastructure at Zutari, a 'smart city' is much more than a city that is digitally enabled and brimming with technology. It is a city that leverages innovation to achieve its desired outcomes, Talip says, and here innovation does not necessarily mean only technology.
“A smart city is a city where opportunity, amenity, safety, resilience, inclusivity and prosperity are imperatives, and innovation across financing, design, construction, operations and governance is embraced by all stakeholders to achieve these imperatives,” says Talip.
Read more: ZA: Lanseria: Smart cities promote best practice in urban sustainability