ICT

Radio astronomy is driving demand for data analysts.

Sol Plaatje University (SPU) is teaching data analytical skills to undergraduates and many of them are moving into the financial sector on graduation. Another area where these skills are in great demand is radio astronomy. One of the world’s great scientific ventures, the Square Kilometre Array radio telescope project, has been established near Carnarvon and the amount of data that it will generate is so great that it is difficult to comprehend. Many data analysts will be needed.

Another contribution by SPU to the acquiring of digital skills goes beyond the confines of the campus through Hackathons, VacWork programmes and skills development outreach projects. This is done in collaboration with lecturers, Geekulcha students and the NCDev ecosystem (the first app developer ecosystem in the Northern Cape).

Galeshewe now has its own mLab for applications development, thanks to a partnership between the provincial government, the National Department of Science and Innovation (DSI) and the Northern Cape Community Education and Training College. The syllabus will be aligned to the National Qualifications Framework (NQF) and skills such as building WordPress websites, social-media marketing and developing mobile apps will be tested at Youth Service Centres.

Mobile phone companies Vodacom and MTN will spend R410million in the Northern Cape in 2023. Vodacom Central Region’s investment of R230-million is to expand broadband coverage in deep rural areas, to upgrade base station sites and network resilience. MTN has built five new connectivity sites and is planning to build a further 25 new connectivity sites and modernise 48 sites at an estimated cost of R180-million.

Vodacom is partnering with the provincial government in the provision of digital call centres for emergency medical services (EMS) in Upington and Kimberley. Calls received have increased by 7 000 per month and response times for ambulances have improved dramatically. The Bokamoso Digital Health Strategy is connecting health facilities to a centralised system. In the course of 2023, Sub-Saharan Africa’s first Health Informatics Unit and the Provincial Health Emergency Operations

Online Resources

National Department of Science and Innovation: www.dsi.gov.za

Sol Plaatje University: www.spu.ac.za

Square Kilometre Array: www.ska.ac.za

Technology Innovation Agency: www.tia.org.za

Sector Insight

Centre (PHOEC) will be launched in the Northern Cape.

The Provincial Government, with the World Health Organization, has established the unit in order to improve health management, data analysis, planning, emergency and disaster response.

The SA Connect Project is set to create 1 599 new sites for Phase Two of the project over three years to 2025 in clinics and schools. The Office of the Premier, together with the Centre for Public Service Innovation (CPSI), is leading a project to create a digital Thusong Service Centre app. The app will take government services to cell phones. ■