Minister Cwele leads South African delegation at 2017 International Telecommunication Union Telecom World Exhibition

25 Sep 2017

Minister Cwele leads the SA delegation at the 2017 International Telecommunication Union Telecom World Exhibition to bid to host the event next year

The Minister of Telecommunications and Postal Services Dr Siyabonga Cwele is leading the South Africans delegation at the 2017 International Telecommunication Union Telecom World Exhibition in South Korea where South Africa is bidding to host the next edition of the conference in September 2018.

Minister Cwele is leading the bid process after Cabinet approved that South Africa makes a proposal to host the 2018 World Telecom Exhibition which is expected to attract 9 000 delegates and contribute an estimated R81 million into the economy.

The annual conference and exhibition attracts government and industry leaders to explore challenges, partnerships and solutions, and identify investment opportunities and best practices for socio-economic development through Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs). The conference has increased its focus on supporting Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in ICT by providing them with a platform to showcase their products and services.

South Africa’s bid aims to bring this conference and exhibition to the continent for the first time. South Africa believes that this will increase investment in ICT into the continent by providing a greater focus on Africa, and encourage greater participation by African countries and companies wishing to do business in Africa. The conference is also an excellent opportunity to promote South African and continental SMEs.

The Department is finalising the ICT SMME Support Strategy after public consultations. As part of this year’s Telecom World Exhibition, the Department is supporting the participation of five SMMEs. These are;