Information Technology and South Africa's Green Paper on Science and Technology

Abstract

If an effective national system of innovation is the main proposal of the green paper then information technology (IT) has to play a very central role in that system. Supporting IT effectively will also mean supporting innovation in IT. Information technology both enables, and crucially depends on, a national system of innovation. Any white paper on Science and Technology should devote special attention to information technology in view of its crucial and exceptional role in technology innovation. The IT industry in South Africa, particularly niche applications development, can become a major driver of the economy, both to provide local IT solutions to development needs and to provide export products. It can be a major force in supporting employment in small, medium and micro enterprises (SMME's). The information society makes great demands on human resources. Current deployment of IT is hampered by having far too few people with an ability for innovation in IT. Exploiting the numerous potential benefits of IT will be greatly enhanced by having a more technology literate population.