South Africa is a dominantly urban country, with almost 70% of the population living in cities and towns. But urban services and infrastructures are coming under increasing strain from the collapse of infrastructure in many smaller and medium sized towns and deteriorating levels in the large cities.
A common response to a gathering urban crisis is to imagine starting afresh with new cities. The impulse crosses the political spectrum.
Read more: South Africa doesn’t need new cities: it needs to focus on fixing what it’s got
In a plan being mooted by Stellenbosch University’s faculty of engineering, Stellenbosch is set to become the first transport-oriented “smart city” in South Africa.
The Stellenbosch Smart Mobility Laboratory (SSML) today announced a partnership with German firm PTV Group.
Read more: Stellenbosch to be SA’s first transport-oriented smart city
The City of Johannesburg (COJ) will spend R21.5 million on the implementation of its e-health system.
So says executive mayor Mpho Phalatse, marking the coming into effect of the multi-party government’s R77.3 billion budget for the 2022/23 financial year.
While the COJ announced budget plans for the city at the end of May, it’s only now that budget funds may officially start to be utilised for various projects.
Read more: ZA: City of Joburg’s e-health system receives hefty budget
ZA: City of Johannesburg hopes to solve service delivery issues with Smart City Innovation Challenge
Each of the four winners will receive R500,000 and an opportunity to pilot their solutions with the city’s departments or entities.
Every week there are reports of service delivery protests across the country. If you go to social media on a daily basis, someone is posting about how their city, town, village or township is falling apart.
South Africans are frustrated with power cuts, crime, potholes, water leaks, illegal businesses, illegal dumping, squatter camps and gender-based violence.
Internet service provider RocketNet and fixed network operator (FNO) Zoom Fibre have partnered to rollout high-speed fibre internet in Saldanha Bay.
The move is in line with the West Coast city’s vision to turn Saldanha Bay Municipality into a safe, digital city, according to a statement.
Amoeba TSC won the tender to lay the cable needed for fibre internet in 2020 and selected Zoom Fibre as its implementation partner and funder.
Read more: ZA: Western Cape: Saldanha Bay’s smart city vision gets into gear