lnvestment Zones

For Opportunity Magazine, Cape Media

Sources usec:
|rrp://www.salrica.inlo/coinq_Lusiness/economy/cevelo
pmenr/SD.|rm (T|e Deparrmenr ol Trace & ncusrry
weLsire searc| lor SDs (special cevelopmenr iniriarives)
|rrp://usemLassy.srare.qov/posrs/sl1/www|es2y.|rml
(T|e nvesrmenr Climare Sour| Alrica 2000
n an ellorr ro Loosr economic qrowr| anc creare |oLs, r|e Cerrain SD's exrenc Leyonc r|e conlines ol Sour|
Sour| Alrican qovernmenr |as earmarkec invesrmenr Alrica's Lorcers w|ere r|e economic imperarives ol r|e
zones ro promore cevelopmenr wir|in cesiqnarec srrareqy cicrarec r|ar r|e SD incluces parr ol a
reqions. neiq|Lourinq counrry. Examples are r|e Mapuro
Developmenr Corricor Lerween Sour| Alrica anc
T|ese invesrmenr zones, known as "Sparial Developmenr MozamLique (Lur ir also allecrs Swazilanc, ZimLaLwe anc
niriarives" (SDs) promore invesrmenr opporruniries Borswana), anc r|e LuLomLo niriarive Lerween Sour|
oursice ol r|e ma|or incusrrial cenrres. Frimarily all r|e Alrica, MozamLique anc Swazilanc. ncer consicerarion
ma|or pro|ecrs ol r|e SDs are Lasec on a parrners|ip is r|e exrension ol r|e FusrenLurq SD ro incluce r|e
Lerween r|e puLlic anc privare secrors wir| r|e aim ol TransKala|ari rransporr corricor Lerween NamiLia anc
provicinq opporruniries lor qrowr| in areas suc| as Borswana.
aqriculrure, mininq, rourism, loresrry, inlrasrrucrure anc
porrs. SDs are increasinqly locusec on r|e sour|ern Alrican
reqion, wir| r|e Mapuro Developmenr Corricor leacinq ro
Eac| SD area, or corricor, is ser ro Le criven Ly irs in|erenr suLsranrial invesrmenrs in Lor| Sour| Alrica anc
economic porenrial. Governmenr inrervenrion will locus MozamLique. T|e rarionale lor economic inreqrarion in
on: r|e provision ol cerailec inlormarion aLour r|e area, sour|ern Alrica is Lasec on r|e premise r|ar economic
cescriprions ol exisrinq privare secror plans, invesrmenr in inreqrarion can yielc qrearer cevelopmenral Lenelirs Ly
inlrasrrucrure ro relieve Lorrlenecks, r|e crearion ol r|e collecrive use ol economic policies.
incusrrial cevelopmenr zones (DZs), anc opporruniries
lor privare parriciparion in puLliclyluncec celivery ol Closely linkec ro r|e SDs are r|e ncusrrial Developmenr
services ro r|e local popularion. Zones (DZs). T|ese zones are ellecrively incusrrial esrares
r|ar |ave curylree procucrion lor exporrs, laciliries anc
Eac| SD incluces a numLer ol pro|ecrs r|ar are availaLle services railorec lor exporrorienrec incusrries anc
ro invesrors, Lor| loreiqn anc local. Wir|in eac| SD area rransporr roures. DZs are qeoqrap|ically cesiqnarec
local lacilirarors provice assisrance anc work cirecrly wir| wir|in a conrrollec curylree area, near a porr or an airporr.
privare invesrors, keepinq qovernmenr involvemenr ro a A Narional Developmenr Zone Aur|oriry (NDZA) is
minimum. T|e SD proqramme is an inrerceparrmenral responsiLle lor r|e reqularion, lacilirarion, anc
invesrmenr srrareqy lec Ly r|e narional Deparrmenrs ol acminisrrarion ol r|e DZS. Local NDZA ollices will
Trace & ncusrry (DT) anc Transporr (DoT). manaqe r|e reqularory anc approval process acrinq as
"onesrop s|ops" leavinq r|e privare secror ro manaqe
T|ere are currenrly 10 Developmenr niriarives r|ar |ave anc cevelop r|e zones. T|ere are currenrly rwelve
alreacy qenerarec arounc 400 invesrmenr pro|ecrs valuec porenrial DZ locarions in Sour| Alrica all srrareqically
ar F83Lillion. T|ey are: posirionec close ro an inrernarional porr. Coeqa |as
receivec irs provisional operaror permir. Easr Loncon anc
T|e Mapuro Developmenr Corricor Fic|arcs Bay are nexr in line.
T|e LuLomLo niriarive
F|alaLorwa SD
KwaZuluNaral SD
Fic|arcs Bay niriarive
Flarinumniriarive
T|e Fis| Fiver niriarive
Wesr Coasr niriarive
Wilc Coasr niriarive
Easr Loncon/Coeqa niriarive

lnvestment Zones, South AIrica's Development lnitiatives

Technology in Education, South AIrica
For Black Business Ouarterly, Cape Media
nlormarion anc rec|noloqy uncerpin r|e new lace ol or|er perip|erals,
service incusrry anc qloLal markers. GloLalisarion anc To encouraqe alrer|our use ol compurer laciliries Ly
increasec polarisarion Lerween r|e |aves anc |avenors r|e sc|ool anc wicer communiry
|ave uncerscorec r|e imporrance ol ecucarion, anc
parricularly inlormarion anc communicarions rec|noloqy Srarisrics rellecr r|e proLlems ol inlrasrrucrure anc rollour
(CT) wir|in ecucarion, as a means ro Lricqe r|e civice. wir|in r|e louncarion p|ase. Accorcinq ro r|e Sc|ools
Feqisrer ol Neecs Survey concucrec in 2000, ol r|e 27 148
ncersrancinq r|e neec ro keep pace wir| r|e nlormarion Sour| Alrican sc|ools surveyec, 58% |ac elecrriciry, 55%
Aqe, Sour| Alrica's policy makers |ave Leen workinq ro |ac relep|ones, 30%|ac compurers anc 1o %|ac access
improve r|e inequiraLle cisrriLurion ol Lasic social ro r|e nrerner. T|ere are |uqe variarions Lerween rural
services anc inlrasrrucrure, parricularly in r|e rural areas. anc urLan sc|ools anc Lerween provinces.
T|e Ecucarion Deparrmenr |as |ac ro rackle r|ese issues,
in accirion ro lormularinq policy ro promore r|e use ol CT T|ere |ave |owever Leen many iniriarives rowarcs CT
in learninq. For Minisrer ol Ecucarion, Kacer Asmal, r|e cevelopmenr. T|ese incluce a proposec 50% suLsicy lor
quesrion was nor w|er|er CT s|oulc Le usec Lur |ow ir sc|ools' nrerner access cosrs (erare) r|ar will leac ro
coulc Le "successlully inrrocucec". increasec connecriviry. CollaLorarions Lerween r|e puLlic,
privare secrors anc NGs |ave lec ro siqnilicanr pro|ecrs
T|e Sour| Alrican qovernmenr assisrec Ly r|e Deparrmenr suc| as Gaurenq nline anc r|e K|anya Fro|ecr. niversiry
ol Tr ace anc ncusr r y anc r |e Gover nmenr srucenrs in lorryeiq|r insrirurions en|oy wellcevelopec
Communicarion anc nlormarion Service are workinq ro relecommunicarions nerworks r|rouq| r|e Terriary
creare an elecrronic communicarion environmenr. T|e Ecucarion Nerwork (TENET). Solar Fowerec sc|ools |ave
cellular nerworks (w|ic| |ave cevelopec 'pay as you use' Leen Luilr anc compurer proqrammes cevelopec ro
rec|noloqy) anc racio links (lor insrallarion ol larqe rranslare solrware inro r|e eleven ollicial lanquaqes.
manaqemenr inlormarion sysrems) are allowinq r|e kinc ol
leaplroq rec|noloqy requirec in cevelopinq counrries.
EXTFACT 1
T|e inrrocucrion ol compurinq rec|noloqy inro sc|ools (as
cenrres ol communiry lile) will c|anqe r|e economic Lase. (lrom srrareqy lor nlormarion & Communicarion
Srancarcizec communicarion anc |osrinq prorocols |ave Tec|noloqy in Ecucarion Depr. ol Ecucarion anc
|elpec srreamline r|e process lor ecucarional insrirurions. Deparrmenr ol Communicarions 2001)
T|e Minisrry ol Ecucarion ourlinec r|e lollowinq ourcomes
in irs srrareqy lor all Sour| Alrican sc|ools: T|ere is a |osr ol pro|ecrs arounc r|e counrry r|ar seek ro
provice connecriviry anc compurer rec|noloqy lor learner
To |ave a means ol relecommunicarion (lancline or use anc reac|er rraininq. T|ese pro|ecrs ranqe lromr|ose
cellp|one), plannec anc Lucqerec lor Ly provincial ecucarion
To |ave ar leasr one nrernerlinkec compurer lor ceparrmenrs ro w|olly incepencenr laciliries r|ar are
acminisrrarion & supporr, uncer r|e conrrol ol sc|ool qoverninq Locies. T|ey ranqe
To |ave access ro nrernerlinkec compurinq laciliries lromr|e mosr Lasic connecriviry ol a sinqle compurer wir|
lor learner & ecucaror use, nrerner Linkaqe ro lully nerworkec compurer rooms.
Alrer r|e louncarion p|ase, ro use compurers ro
improve numeracy anc lanquaqe skills, Almosr wir|our exceprion, r|ese pro|ecrs provice access
To cevelop Lasic comperence in worc processinq, ro r|e nrerner via w|ar r|e incusrry aLLreviares as "FTS"
spreacs|eer, llar caraLase, email anc weL Lrowser r|e plain olc relep|one sysrem. T|e incremenral qrowr| in
applicarions, connecriviry conrriLures rowarcs r|e cevelopmenr ol an
To use inrerlaces, inclucinq keyLoarcs, rouc| pacs anc ecucarional nerwork r|ar lorms parr ol r|is srrareqy.
Technology in Education, South AIrica
p ro per|aps rwo years aqo r|e ceparrmenrs ol Gaurenq province w|ere Jo|annesLurq anc Freroria are
ecucarion were nor in a posirion acrively ro crive compurer siruarec anc evenrually r|e enrire counrry, wir| lree access
ceploymenr. Deploymenr occurrec r|rouq| privare ro email, r|e nrerner anc an online learninq curriculum.
means, NGs or r|e conor communiry. T|is siruarion |as
seen a cramaric c|anqe. T|e pro|ecr, known as Gaurenq nline, is parr ol a wicer
plan Ly Alrica's qovernmenrs ro use new rec|noloqies ro
T|e larqesr compurer pro|ecr is r|ar in Gaurenq Frovince, accelerare social anc economic cevelopmenr across r|e
w|ere r|e Frovincial CaLiner, as parr ol irs Blue pro|ecr conrinenr. Alrica's rop relecommunicarions people mer in
ro cevelop r|e inlrasrrucrure lor a 'smarr' province, |as Accis ALaLa, Er|iopia in 15 anc lormec r|e Alrican
earmarkec F500m over r|e nexr lour years ro place nlormarion Sociery niriarive (ASA). T|ey urqec
compurers in all r|e sc|ools ol r|e province. qovernmenrs ro keep up wir| r|e qrowinq momenrum ol
relecommunicarions worlcwice an caurionec r|ar Alrican
Nexr in size is r|e K|anya Fro|ecr ol r|e Wesrern Cape economies woulc suller il r|ey remain oursice ol r|e
Ecucarion Deparrmenr, r|e Lucqer lor w|ic| is also in r|e rec|noloqy Loom.
|uncrecs ol millions. T|is year K|anya |opes ro spenc
some F40min r|e lirsr p|ase ol rollour. T|e Sour| Alrican qovernmenr |opes r|ar qerrinq sc|ool
c|ilcren compurer lirerare will qenerare more |oLs Ly
Aparr lrom r|ese rwo ma|or pro|ecrs, or|er larqescale crearinq an nlormarion Tec|noloqy (T)Lasec economy.
provision is Leinq uncerraken larqely Ly parasraral anc As r|e worlc Lecomes ever more rec|noloqy cepencenr,
privare secror involvemenr. T|is incluces T|inrana/Telkom compurer lireracy is seen as an incispensaLle skill r|ar
in r|e Norr|ern Cape, MTN in Mpumalanqa, KwaZulu many Sour| Alricans are losinq our on Lecause ol luncinq
Naral anc r|e Norr|ern Frovince anc r|e Scope in r|e s|orraqes.
Norr|ern Cape anc Mpumalanqa. Donor aqencies suc| as
FNNDA, Aurralian Aic, DFD anc SAD |ave all T|e Deparrmenr ol Ecucarion |opes ro qer some 250 000
conrriLurec. sc|ool leavers inro |oLs wir|in nlormarion Tec|noloqy (T)
Ly ollerinq srucenrs lrom qraces nine ro 12 r|e c|ance ro
Menrion musr Le mace ol r|e cosrinrensive ceploymenr srucy lor a cerrilicare in inlormarion rec|noloqy.
ol laprop compurers in some ol r|e incepencenr sc|ools
in r|e counrry. W|ile r|e |iq| cosr ol r|is experimenr Aler|a Linq, execurive cirecror ol MGX, one ol r|e
precluces a wicer rollour, ir is an inreresrinq consorriums luncinq Gaurenq nline says: "T|e ciqiral
experimenrarion ol inreqrarion ol compurers inro r|e worlc is |ere ro sray anc ir is imporranr we Lrinq everyone
curriculumanc ceserves carelul appraisal. inro r|is worlc".
n r|e lielc ol reac|er ecucarion, r|e S|oma Fro|ecr ol T|e Deparrmenr ol Ecucarion launc|ec r|e amLirious
Mulric|oice is an example ol a pro|ecr Lasec ar a numLer Gaurenq nline sc|eme in NovemLer 2001 in parrners|ip
ol reac|er cenrres r|ar use sarellire rec|noloqy ro rransmir wir| six rec|noloqy consorriums. So lar, r|e pro|ecr |as
inreracrive courseware cevelopec in collaLorarion wir| only Leen in pilor sraqes anc BM, Sun/MGX, Musrek,
various unirs in r|e |iq|er ecucarion secror. NCD, Sa|ara anc NSYS anc |ave provicec 30 sc|ools
wir| 25 compurers eac| as well as solrware anc rraininq
n r|e lielc ol conrenr celivery, a |osr ol players are alreacy service lor reac|ers. T|e ulrimare aim ol r|is pro|ecr is ro
acrive. T|ese ranqe lromweL sires r|ar serve as porrals ro creare r|e rec|noloqical environmenr neecec lor Sour|
or|er parries' inlormarion across r|e enriries suc| as r|e Alrica ro compere wir| or|er counrries lookinq ro arrracr
Learninq C|annel, r|ar are qenerarinq r|eir own loreiqn invesrmenr.
courseware.
Wir| r|e success ol r|e pilor sraqe, r|e qovernmenr is now
Muc| work on inreracrive ruirion is occurrinq in r|e |iq|er spencinq F500 million (50 million S collars), alonqsice
ecucarion secror, Lur a cescriprion ol r|is lielc lies Leyonc conrinuinq conrriLurions lrom privare companies, ro
r|e scope ol r|is cocumenr. expanc r|e pro|ecr ro cover 700 sc|ools Ly r|e miccle ol
2003. Evenrually in r|e lour years rime all 1.5 million
T|e aLove lisrinq is nor compre|ensive nor coes ir sc|oolc|ilcren in Gaurenq will Le connecrec ro r|e resr ol
consrirure an evaluarion. r serves rar|er ro incicare r|e r|e worlc.
variery ol players in r|e lielc, anc raises r|e quesrions ol co
orcinarion, cosr elliciency, susrainaLiliry, srancarcs anc Despire Leinq criricisec lor Leinq slow ro realise Gaurenq
ellecriveness. T|ese woulc all neec ro Le accressec in nline, r|e Deparrmenr ol Ecucarion is in no couLr: "We
srrareqic planninq. Lelieve r|ar we are on rrack anc are conlicenr r|ar we can
celiver," says LaLelo Maloka, spokesperson lor r|e
EXTFACT2: provincial minisrer ol ecucarion in Gaurenq.
(From r|e Black Worlc Tocay : Biqqesr T pro|ecr ro
provice lree online learninq 30/12/2002)
Sour| Alrica's Liqqesr inrerner pro|ecrs ever uncerraken
on r|e Alrican conrinenr, aim ro provice every srucenr in
Technology in Education, South AIrica
Continued