This Toolkit provides relevant background and related resources specifically targeted to support policy-making in Africa. The toolkit promotes an approach that aligns FOSS policy and strategy with broader objectives for social and economic development. The toolkit is split in two parts.

In 2002, the World Economic Forum (WEF), the New Partnership for African Development (NEPAD) and the e-Africa Commission created the e-Readiness Policy Programme to help African countries address policy issues that affect information communications technology (ICT) use in the region. Bridges.org worked on the Programme to assess the current status of technology-related policies in Africa and to drive government, private sector and civil society stakeholders into ICT policy discussions. This report is intended as a first stage in a broader process to advance ICT policy and decision-making across Africa by building partnerships that inform and engage stakeholders in policy processes.

Information and communication technology (ICT) policy in South Africa incorporates telecommunications and e-commerce. While discrete policy and legislative processes, the two are intertwined within the joint national strategies of equitable development and economic growth. The current state of ICT policy in South Africa is that the Telecommunications Act, Act 103 of 1996, is under review and e-commerce policy and cyberlaw is evolving. The resultant ICT policy will have a direct effect on the infrastructure, communications and applications segments of the market as well as the nature of e-government services. It is this uncertain policy context that this brief addresses.

Bridges.org partnered with the World Economic Forum (WEF) and Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) in 2001-02 to hold a consultation among stakeholders on e-readiness issues, and draft a report that looked at how ready SADC countries are to adopt information communications technology (ICT) in terms of infrastructure, legal frameworks, and sectoral development.

Consultation report with the South African Development Community (SADC) and the World Economic Forum

The World Economic Forum Steering Committee on Policies and Strategies was invited in June 2001 by regulators from the Southern African Development Community (SADC) to participate and share perspectives in a consultative e-readiness process. The result of the process is this action framework entitled, which was presented by the Steering Committee on Policies and Strategies as a deliverable to the World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting 2002.

South African telecommunications policy-making is at a crossroads.  The path towards national economic growth and equitable development within the information, communication and technology (ICT) sector has been tortuous, given the difficult and sometimes conflicting tasks of liberalization. The critical question is how the government should approach changes in the telecommunications sector to foster the emergence of a globally competitive information economy in South Africa that will encourage the use of ICTs to improve people’s lives.