There are big concerns about the feasibility of smart cities in South Africa. But public/private partnerships could help get them built, writes Evotel's Bradley Bekker.
The idea of smart cities is wonderful and promises to address many of South Africans’ issues with government’s service delivery failures – if implemented properly.
However, who takes responsibility for creating smart cities? Is it a government-led initiative, or citizen and private sector led? Who takes the leadership role in making them a reality?
Read more: ZA: Smart cities make sense – building them right is the challenge
“Fibre is about more than just connecting to the internet,” says Zoom Fibre’s Managing Director Mohamed Asmal.
As part of the joint initiative by Zoom Fibre and the Saldanha Bay Municipality (SBM), to give all households in the municipal area access to fibre, new smart poles have been installed in various local sites.
Read more: ZA: West Coast: Smart poles launch in Saldanha Bay Municipality
Our biggest cities already have a lot of the essential infrastructure needed for a smart city conversion
Smart cities offer a multitude of advantages for government and residents. They use technology and data to improve their efficiency and the lives of their residents, and to ensure that they are environmentally sustainable.
Take Singapore, for example. From digital health care to contactless payments systems, near-universal broadband and energy-efficient buildings, Singapore has become the global poster child for smart cities.
Read more: SA is well positioned to accelerate the move to smart cities
Western Cape’s Saldanha Bay Municipality (SBM) is trialling smart poles to provide smart lighting and WiFi connectivity in localised areas near the poles.
This move forms part of the municipality’s ongoing efforts to turn SBM into a smart city, according to a statement.
The municipality, together with its private sector partner Zoom Fibre, installed the smart poles in various sites in Saldanha Bay.
Promoted | South Africa's biggest cities have a lot of the essential infrastructure that forms a solid base for a smart city conversion, writes BCX's Jan Bouwer.
Smart cities offer a multitude of advantages for both government and residents. They use technology and data to improve the efficiency of a city and the lives of its residents, including making the city more environmentally sustainable.
Read more: South Africa is well positioned to accelerate the move to smart cities – here’s how