New forms of managing distance education institutions advancing open distance learning in Africa

Abstract

In the past few months, South Africa has received in short order, three very significant and highprofile delegations, from China, India and France. These were not merely courtesy visits. They were aimed at strengthening economic ties and collaboration on a hitherto unprecedented scale and across a variety of fronts. In another turn of events, South Africa, represented by President Mbeki has just taken up its chairpersonship of the UN Security Council, a first for an African country. These seemingly random events are very significant in that they offer up evidence of a continent that is coming into its own as a global player and they provide in a very concrete manner, acknowledgement by the rest of the world, that Africa is a wakening giant; a giant that has vast potential not only in terms of is economic growth and development but also in terms of the role that it could play as a future global power. In short, it is becoming evident that Africa has the potential to influence in a very fundamental manner, the balance of power as we know it today.