When used effectively, information and communication technology (ICT) offers huge potential to empower people in Cape Town to improve their lives. Yet the reality is that a "digital divide" exists which separates those who can access and use ICT to gain benefits, and those who do not have access to technology or cannot use it for one reason or another. The City of Cape Town is committed to putting ICT to work for social and economic development, and is driving the changes necessary to ensure that ICT is used effectively. However, City leaders need to have a realistic understanding of what ICT can - and cannot - do for Cape Town's communities and organisations, and they must lead effectively and bolster public confidence in the path they take.

In January 2002, the City Council undertook a pioneering assessment of the digital divide in Cape Town, in order to get a picture of where its citizens, communities, and organisations stand in terms of ICT and the potential benefits of ICT use for social and economic development in the City. This report of the findings examines the access to, use of, and need for ICT in Cape Town, with a special focus on the millions of people that live in disadvantaged communities within the greater metropolitan area. This study is intended to help City leaders and administration measure and plan for ICT integration, to focus their efforts from within, and identify areas where external support is required. Further, the study aims to provide benchmarks for comparison and gauging progress. And finally, the study is intended to be one part of a greater process to bring a wide range of stakeholders into the discussion about ICT and development in Cape Town. The City has already started to put ICT to work to achieve broad development goals, in particular through its Smart City strategy.

This study compiled information from a range of sources, and collected direct input from communities, government agencies, academic institutions, businesses, community organisations, and others. The aim was not to ascertain the precise status of ICT across the entire population of Cape Town. Instead, the study took a wide-angle view of the issues, and focused on a sample of communities and organisations to paint a mosaic of the overall ICT landscape in Cape Town. The assessment had four main objectives: (1) to gauge Real Access to ICT; (2) to assess the needs of Cape Town's people and organisations for future ICT services; (3) to identify opportunities to improve access to ICT, use ICT to have a real and beneficial impact on Cape Town, and help fulfil the City Council's strategies for social and economic development; and (4) to identify constraints that will hinder improvement.

Overview of ICT status in South Africa, the Western Cape, and Cape Town

Compared to other countries, South Africa is in the middle tier of ICT development with a relatively large and growing population that has access to ICT, but many issues hinder further growth and the beneficial impact of ICT. Like most other countries, South Africa has a large internal digital divide, which limits access to ICT and its effect on people's lives. Most ICT-related policies fall under the jurisdiction of the National and Provincial Governments, and the City's course of action will be shaped - but not determined - by their actions in this area. National and Provincial Governments are embracing technology and have recently enacted important policies and initiatives related to ICT. South Africa's ICT policy framework is currently undergoing rapid change as the National Government seeks to harness ICT for growth and grapples with new social issues raised by technology. Overall, this policy process has been consultative and forward thinking. In terms of policy, the Provincial Government may have legislative and executive powers concurrently with the national sphere of government over, among other things, education, agriculture, economic development, welfare, tourism, trade and investment promotion. These powers can be exercised to the extent that provinces have the administrative capacity to assume effective responsibilities.

While there is a portion of the Western Cape population that is highly literate and financially stable, the majority of people below the poverty line do not have a fixed or mobile telephone, or access to a computer, email, or the Internet. Since the majority of low-income inhabitants in the Western Cape cannot afford to pay for basic services such as water, electricity, and sanitation, it follows that ICT services are out of reach as well. Only 11% of the national ICT sector is in the Western Cape. The Western Cape and Gauteng Provinces have the greatest availability of school infrastructure compared to other provinces, and the Western Cape has the highest high school pass rate in South Africa at 80%. Five prominent tertiary institutions in the Western Cape supply trained personnel for the ICT industry.

During recent years, the City Government has embarked on a number of ICT-related programmes designed to improve its own internal processes and increase the availability of ICT to citizens and businesses in the area it serves, notably: the Smart City Strategy, Smart Cape Access Project, the Ukuntinga ERP project, Business Support Services, and the Library Business Corner initiative.

Overview of the status of Real Access in Cape Town's communities and organisations

Common themes that emerged from the study :


Community meetings

• Need for ICT services:Three issues were mentioned repeatedly: basic access, training, and jobs. People are most enthusiastic about ICT where it can help with basic services and employment. Awareness about ICT programmes is low overall. Low-to-middle income communities see computers as a simple necessity for the future of their children, especially to get jobs and information. Some indicated a desire for computers only because they have a vague belief that computers "are a good thing". Online government information is a low priority for most people, well after basic ICT access, training, and jobs. Low-to-middle income communities noted that community access to ICT would help "take the kids off the streets". In low-income communities ICT is seen as an issue for young and middle-aged people to be concerned about, but not the elderly. Refurbished or second-hand computers are welcome, as long as they are functional.
• Potential opportunities and solutions:There is considerable non-specific enthusiasm for computer technology, and a general feeling that the communities are being left out of the information society and that it is important to bridge the digital divide. Community members are ready and willing to conduct their own training programmes, if they are given the means to do so. Overall, schools and libraries are seen as the best possible venues for community ICT access. Evening access to ICT, linked to online access to government services, was repeatedly identified as a way to help alleviate the problem of government services closing early. Each community has its own unique set of community structures that can be engaged to mobilise the residents.
• Potential constraints to improving ICT access:People are concerned that ICT access points based in schools and libraries would not be open after hours for the public or would not have the necessary staffing. Security is a concern. Community organisations want to communicate with the City, but feel that the City "is not listening" and that online access to officials will not help. In low-income communities, widespread poverty and unemployment mean that most people cannot afford to pay for computer use or training. While community members in low-income communities repeatedly requested training as a means to obtain jobs, many other respondents have been trained but were unsuccessful at finding jobs. Overall there is a mismatch between training available and job opportunities. Geographical isolation is a key form of exclusion from ICT. Overall, elderly people feel left out and do not understand how ICT applies to them. Issues related to ICT access for disabled persons or equal access for women did not arise in the meetings.

Organisations

• Need for ICT services:CBOs and SMMEs usually have the least access to ICT. Local Government is seen to be responsible for providing ICT access to citizens. CBOs and NGOs want to be better equipped to play the role of information broker related to the City's policies and procedures. There is a need for a clearinghouse of ICT and digital divide initiatives in Cape Town. Businesses want the City to use ICT more effectively to execute its functions, particularly to make better use of ICT to disseminate vital information and increase the speed of its business transactions. Organisations feel that the City should play a role in lobbying for cheaper ICT services. There is a need for high-end ICT skills that are recognised by a training authority.
• Potential opportunities and solutions:Organisations have a strong belief in the power of ICT. There is considerable interest in working with the City to help improve technology use and bridge the digital divide. The City can draw from a vast pool of experience that already exists within the private sector and among established NGOs. Networks of activities already exist. Existing initiatives are breaking new ground. Organisations are supportive of the City's approach.
• Potential constraints to improving ICT access:Organisations do not know how to work with the City. There is a perceived lack of commitment among City employees. There is a perception that increased online information could widen the divide if it is not accompanied with improved access to the Internet for all. Other issues are viewed as more important than ICT, and ICT is viewed as only part of the solution for social and economic development.
Recommendations
• Use best practice principles in Cape Town's ICT strategies and programmes, including:
• Build upon existing kernels of activity;
• Scale up;
• Seek public support for strategic planning by helping citizens understand the potential benefits of ICT for their daily lives, and by involving the private sector;
• Catalyse action throughout society;
• Coordinate to avoid duplication;
• Establish links between ground level efforts and policy-making processes;
• Simultaneously address traditional development and ICT issues;
• Identify levels of priority for urgent and longer-term actions; and
• Establish and continue a feedback process throughout implementation.
• Frame ICT strategies with long-term ICT objectives, notably to:
• Improve Real Access to ICT in Cape Town;
• Foster socio-economic development and bridge the digital divide; and
• Improve the way that ICT is used to meet the specific needs of Cape Town's communities and organisations.
• Focus City actions toward Real Access to ICT.
• Position ICT as an enabler for broad socio-economic development in key target areas, including:
• Governance and government processes,
• Economic growth,
• Entrepreneurship and employment,
• Poverty reduction, and
• Access to ICT.
• Scale up programmes to improve local Government ICT use and internal capacity.
• Build upon Cape Town's ICT kernels and facilitate widespread involvement to implement City strategies.
• Provide City Council leadership for ICT activities in target areas.
• Understand the obstacles in order to overcome them effectively.
• Focus on implementation and conduct further research only as needed.



1 The following acronyms (which are written out at the appropriate places in the main report) are used for the purposes of this executive summary: community based organisation (CBO); information and communications technology (ICT); non-governmental organisation (NGO); personal computer (PC); and small, micro and medium-sized enterprises (SMMEs).

2 For the purposes of this report, "organisation" refers to all of the kinds of organisations and businesses involved in this study - including academic institutions, government agencies, non-governmental organisations, community-based organisations, businesses, and others - unless specified.

3 Note to international readers: Socio-economic data in South Africa often is still analysed using the racial classification system drawn up by the Apartheid regime: hence, the population is divided among African, White, Coloured (of mixed race) and Indian (of Asian decent) people. In recent times this racial classification is used to monitor to what extent racial divides drawn by the Apartheid regime has been exacerbated or diminished. The National Economic Development and Labour Council (NedLac), explains the use of racial classification in its Report on Social and Economic Developments in South Africa to the 1997 Summit as follows: "In this report we refer to different races: Africans, Indians, Coloureds and Whites. Although the Nedlac constituencies reject racism and racial classification, we acknowledge that a proper discussion of equality in South Africa cannot ignore the impact of Apartheid policies. For this reason we use racial terms to describe differences in living standards." For more information see http://www.nedlac.org.za/docs/reports/socialreps/1997/intro.html