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South Africa participated in the electronic version of the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (ePIRLS) in 2016 but faced many challenges during implementation. Accurate databases on information and communication technologies (ICT) capacity of schools were not available for sampling in Gauteng, many schools had old and/or non-functional hardware and half of the schools had not used their computer laboratories in the last 3 years. Consequently, South Africa was excluded from the international report as the study requirements could not be met. In this paper we examine the implications of the problems experienced in the ePIRLS multiple case study, conducted in 9 schools (n = 277) in Gauteng. Multilevel models were built using data from the nationally representative Grade 4 Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) data from 2011 (n = 15,744) and 2016 (n = 12,810). In the 2016 national study, principals and teachers reported fewer computers and libraries being available for learners than were reported in 2011. Computers and paper-based libraries being available were not significant predictors of reading literacy. Instead, the medium of instruction in the Foundation Phase, school location, gender, and socioeconomic composition of the school predicted reading literacy achievement. The ePIRLS results show no significant difference between paper-based and online reading. While issues of poverty, gender inequality, and historical disadvantage persist, Grade 4 learners may lack adequate opportunities to acquire paper and digital reading skills. We conclude that the most disadvantaged learners have increasingly insufficient opportunities and resources available to attain basic reading skills and this will have negative long-term consequences for South Africa's educational sector and economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using a qualitative historical research approach, this paper examines the contextual influences, including the formulation motive and their possible impact on policy implementation, of the South African (SA) e-Education White Paper 7 (WP7). A critical discourse analysis (CDA) was conducted on the policy and data was collected through semi-structured interviews (SSI) with purposefully selected participants. Findings of the study reveal tacit contradictions and tensions depicting a policy in contradiction with itself, carrying the hallmark of a symbolic policy. That is, a policy characterised by lack of direction, contradictions in its motive of formulation, no dedicated resources for its implementation, distorted communication resulting from the validity tests, and lack of "material consequences" (Rivzi and Lingard, 2009, p.8). The circumstantial context (socioeconomic and political) of its formulation, dictated to by the prescripts of the negotiated political settlement (NPS), that ushered in the new democratic South Africa (SA), is found to have taken precedence. It further overshadowed critical analysis on the educational needs, which would have informed a better strategic integration of Information and Communication Technology (ICTs) in education. The circumstantial context resulted in a lack of a common goal between policy actors and interest groups. This, to the extent that the former thought of capitalising on the donations of the latter for their own political interests, while the latter saw in the formulation of such policy a way of imposing Government spending in favour of their businesses. These circumstances may have contributed to the policy's failure to reach its set textual objectives and goal by 2013. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the growing interest in e-agriculture research in South Africa, academic studies have not sufficiently and deeply investigated the current e-agriculture research trends in the South African context. It is unclear how primary e-agriculture research in South Africa will aid both current and future generations to create new and better ways to transform agricultural development using this modern technology. This study sought to determine the current status of e-agriculture research in the South African context. A systematic literature review was used to gather and analyze data. The results indicate that 17 papers (26.5%) were published during the first two years (2010-2011) and 28 papers (43.7%) during the last two years (2014-2015). The results of the study further indicate that the use of satellite enhancing agriculture (14 papers, 21.8%) was the most prominent e-agriculture research area in South Africa (27 papers, 23.6%). The results of this study show that information mapping was the most used research method by researchers in their studies (30 papers, 46.8%). The results of the study helped to understand the importance of enhancing research capability and socio-economic transformation of farmworkers and farmers through enhanced communication of agriculture research knowledge in the area of agricultural informatics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The strategic role of integrating Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) when teaching indigenous languages continues to become increasingly apparent within language planning and policy discourse. The integration of ICT in teaching African languages is a complex and diverse research area, making it challenging to identify common factors that define fundamental methods. The argument put forth is that higher education institutions should invest in implementing continuous and intensive awareness-raising seminars about the value of linguistics, language technology, and practice. This paper aims to investigate a comprehensive plan for emerging digital practices and learning design expertise to enable digital democracy in South African higher education by exploring the various opportunities for integrating technology and African languages. Descriptive themes are developed after an intensive existing literature review and analysis. The Language Management Theory (LMT) guides the paper. The author highlight suggestions to ensure that South Africa meets the 2030 United Nations Sustainable Development Goal number 4, which aims to provide inclusive and quality education for all and promote lifelong learning, primarily using ICTs. By presenting various ICT-based models for education as a transformational approach towards integrating ICTs in teaching African languages, the higher education sector will be revolutionized in the African continent and all developing countries that lack understanding of the power of incorporating technology in teaching and developing native languages. Practice recommendations are also made to ensure successful adaptation to the 4th Industrial Revolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper was to explore the development of the professional identity of South African intern psychologists during the COVID-19 pandemic. This paper – that presents a historical reflection borne from a significant moment in time – aimed to capture what the authors can learn from this specific cohort of intern psychologists and their experiences of work-based learning. Design/methodology/approach: Through the lens of the interpretative phenomenological approach, the authors analysed seven semi-structured interviews. Data analysis involved a line-by-line analysis of each individual transcript, where after a thorough, in-depth analysis was conducted across all the cases. Findings: Against the background of the COVID-19 pandemic, the findings demonstrated the interns' initial uncertainties, severe exhaustion, perceived gaps in their training, and resilience despite unusual and difficult circumstances in their WBL internship. Research limitations: The study was limited to seven intern psychologists in South Africa. Practical implications: The findings suggest that support – during and after the COVID-19 pandemic – is crucial throughout the training of psychologists and means to facilitate and develop professional identity and resilience. This will provide the opportunity to safeguard emerging healthcare professionals from burnout while simultaneously advocating for supportive WBL and continual professional development spaces protecting healthcare professionals and the public. Originality/value: With this article, we explored the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the professional identity development of intern psychologists (psychologists in training). The authors expand on the aforementioned original contribution, since the authors situate their research within the Global South. More specifically, the authors explored how intern psychologists' developed their professional identities against the backdrop of a largely resource-scarce context of South Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this research was first to determine the competencies mandatory of risk managers, and second, to consider the implications of such competencies in determining modules appropriate for inclusion in any prospective undergraduate qualification with specialisation in risk management. Design/methodology/approach: A qualitative research approach was followed, involving academics teaching risk management in a focus group and making use of interactive qualitative analysis (IQA). Findings: The competencies identified were business management skills, financial knowledge, an understanding of the risk management process, governance and compliance, people management and technical skills. These will be explained in greater detail in the paper. Research limitations/implications: The implications for teaching are that an undergraduate curriculum in risk management will have to combine majors such as business management, financial management, risk management, industrial psychology and communication. These majors need to be complemented by modules in governance and compliance management, as well as information and communication technology. Practical implications: The implication for practice is that risk management professionals and members of the Institute of Risk Management of South Africa need to avail themselves to serve on an advisory board of academic departments offering risk management qualifications. Risk management is a developing science and requires inputs about research and the curriculation of qualifications. Social implications: The implication for public policy is that the South African Qualifications Authority and the Council for Higher Education should reconsider their requirements for designators (specialised qualifications). The implications for research are that IQA provides clarity on the knowledge and skills required to develop a competency-based qualification in risk management. Further research should benchmark qualifications and propose a curriculum for a bachelor's degree in risk management. Originality/value: The use of IQA is a novel way of ensuring rigour and objectivity in arriving at a description of the required knowledge, skills, values and attributes of risk managers. This paper will assist in the compilation of a new curriculum for an undergraduate qualification in risk management; thus, ensuring such qualification will provide a competency-based qualification that will meet the needs of the profession. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rapid advancements in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) have significantly transformed the landscape of education, impacting both learning and teaching processes. The use of ICT in learning and teaching have changed the whole concept of education and had proved to be of great benefit for both the student and the lecturer. This paper draws from students and lecturers' reflections on the use of ICT in learning and teaching environments in one South African University. An interpretive qualitative approach was adopted to conduct this study. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to collect data from six participants which constituted five students and one lecturer, and the thematic phenomenological analysis was used to analyse data. Findings revealed that the use of ICT in learning and teaching environments in have enhanced learning experiences, access to information and resources, collaborative learning opportunities, personalized learning among students and enhanced lecturer professional development in the university. The study recommended that education institutions should prioritize the allocation of resources for infrastructure development Technology should be used purposefully to enhance teaching and learning, rather than integrated for its own sake. Lecturer's must align their pedagogies with technology as suggested by TPACK theory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper serves to examine whether the growth in labour productivity (LP) in South Africa's manufacturing sector, following policy reforms after 1994, can be attributed to ICT use. To achieve this, we examine the link between ICT intensity and LP growth of 23 manufacturing industries for the period 1970–2016 and sub-periods 1970–1995 and 1996–2016. The industries are disaggregated into two groups, which are 'more ICT-intensive' and 'less ICT-intensive', using the ICT intensity index. Four dummy variable regression models are applied to test for the relationship between ICT intensity of industries and LP growth. The findings suggest that LP of the more ICT-intensive industries accelerated more than that of their counterparts. The results underscore the need for policy measures to increase ICT use with the aim of improving LP performance of industries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

English First Additional Language (EFAL) is one of the prescribed subjects in South Africa. However, it is a has proven to be difficult, especially the reading part of the it. On the other hand, the integration of Information Communication Technology (ICT) can mitigate the challenges and promote effective pedagogy in this subject. Unfortunately, there is evidence that the implementation of ICT is not easy to achieve in some South African schools. This scholarly piece, which is guided by the theory of connectivity, has its focus on those impediments that hinder the effective implementation of ICT in EFAL classrooms. This is because contextual factors must be faced head-on to achieve success in a school environment. The study was informed by interpretive practices, resulting in the use of participant observations and semi-structured interviews to collate the data. Thematic analysis of the data revealed the following: limited time for collaborative practices; lack of ICT expertise; issues of power; poor reading competence among the learners; limited pedagogical knowledge; workload; lack of resources; network issues; and safety issues. Despite all these conundrums, this paper proposes that intermediate phase EFAL teachers should still try to learn how ICT can assist the improvement of reading competence. For the integration of ICT to happen effectively, managers at all levels should also provide the necessary support to the teachers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the importance of access to Information and Communication Technology (ICT) for effective teaching and learning. Access to ICT is a complex and dynamic phenomenon that significantly impacts teachers' technology practices. There is a need for more extensive studies to explore the dynamics of access and teacher technology practices in various contexts. This study explored the influence of access on the technology practices of secondary school teachers in the Western Cape, South Africa. A qualitative online survey was used to explore the lived experiences of teachers during the COVID-19 pandemic. A diverse sample, in terms of gender, age, years of experience of teachers, and socio-economic status of schools, of 22 teachers voluntarily participated in the study. Van Dijk's cumulative model of access to ICT provided a useful lens to explore how and when the dimensions of access supported or hindered teachers' appropriation of ICT. This study found that most respondents were primarily exposed to traditional face-to-face teaching before March 2020. The suspension of in-school teaching, however, caused a dramatic shift in the way teachers interacted with technology, learning materials and learners. Three dimensions of digital inequality, associated with physical access, manifested in South Africa, namely the Virtual Classroom, WhatsApp, and Radio-Television groups. Most participants in this study returned to traditional teaching practices with increased use of technology when schools reopened again. The findings of this study suggest that access to technology is not a linear progression of successive stages that by default culminates in usage. This paper proposes a more holistic contextualised approach to access to create enabling environments for the use of ICT and empower teachers to use ICT in their teaching practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to globalization and the quick development of technology, the world economy has been under constant stress and change throughout the twenty-first century. Teachers are being compelled by these modifications to incorporate Information and Communication Technology (ICT) into their lesson plans. However, the importance of information and communication technology has not been effectively emphasized in teacher education programs, which has concealed its significant contribution to teaching and learning and stymied its integration and advancement in the higher education sector. Literature demonstrates that the integration of information and communication technology, notably in teacher education, is behind in most South African institutions, particularly those that have historically been economically underprivileged. This conceptual paper explores the idea of technology and talks about how relevant it is to teaching and learning using an integrated literature review approach to gather data. It demonstrates why it's crucial to incorporate ICT into teacher education programs, especially in the aftermath of COVID-19. A review of pertinent literature and discussion of ideas for ICT integration in teacher preparation programs have been conducted. In conclusion, it seems that there is still a need to hasten the adoption of information and communication technology in South African teacher preparation programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social distancing was meant to reduce the rate of COVID-19 transmission; however, it affected social interactions, which is a requirement for the cognitive development process. Infrastructure and connectivity remain weak in South Africa, and social distancing became a gatekeeper that prevented students, especially those with restricted space and limited resources, from interacting with their peers, teachers, and friends. The institutional capacity for adopting and pedagogically integrating information and communication technology in education was not enough, and this revealed the phenomenon of digital and social inequality among different groups in South Africa. While the primary focus of this conceptual study was the complex inequalities in the education sector in South Africa, Bernstein's pedagogic device lens was used in this conceptual paper to examine the discourse of technology as an enabler of a socially just classroom and the nature of educators' acceptance of digital technologies in their professional space. It further considered the situated socio-historical transformations and how the legitimisation of elites' perception of digital technologies in the classroom was challenged. Lastly, the article comments on how the elites see inequality. The advancement of technology has presented a challenge and an opportunity to all educational institutions to explore digitalisation affordances instead of relying on dominant discourses informed by Western and Euro-centric contexts. Accordingly, the multidimensionality of digital inequalities was explored with the aim to provide detailed, multifaceted coverage of inequities that extend far and wide in the South African education system. If digitalisation is considered a game changer, pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) is fundamental to educational equity and quality education. PCK supersedes the discourse on digitalisation affordances, and therefore, the intersection of PCK and digital technologies must be investigated. Further, it is imperative to understand how digital technologies expand access to the unique body of knowledge systems for all learners, especially those coming from disadvantaged backgrounds and whose basic dignity and social position are threatened. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A critical and comprehensive reflection of information and communication technology (ICT) is needed to prepare South Africa for the fourth industrial revolution (4IR). Through one uncommonly used theoretical framework in analysing ICT development—dramatism analysis—this article examines South Africa's ICT development. By examining the nature and features of the development through this framework, this article highlights the multitude of South Africa's ICT role players, the tensions among them and the unfulfilled roles from any potential hero in South Africa's ICT drama. The analysis also exposes a shortcoming in current South African ICT literature, which privileges certain aspects of supply-side analysis over other critical supply side as well as demand-side analysis. The article finds that South Africa's ICT development has largely been unsuccessful due to lack of strong leaders who are able to fulfil the role of a hero, which in turn impedes the country's ability to take advantage of the opportunities and respond to the challenges presented by the 4IR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The School of Continuing Teacher Education (SCTE) in South Africa delivers an Advanced Certificate in Education (ACE) Learner Support Programme to Open Distance Learning (ODL) students in Namibia, a developing sub-Saharan African country. This paper examines the experiences of student-teachers using DVDs included in the tutorial package. Fifteen participants from rural and remote areas of Namibia took part in a semi-structured focus group and individual interviews. A first phase analysis identified a set of codes and categories that guided the researchers to two themes to using DVDs: frustration and attitude. Student-teachers' frustration and attitude towards DVDs are linked to sufficient appropriate information, also available as a paper-based tutorial package. Although electronic learning material can assist in achieving curriculum goals and enrich students' learning experiences, students' expectations are paramount in the design and development of instructional DVDs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Various factors such as socio-cultural conditions, geographical area and infrastructural development can inhibit access to information and communication technologies (ICTs). The aim of this paper is to report on the challenges that women in Pretoria encounter when accessing ICTs. The paper presents the results of a case study that was conducted in order to explore the challenges that women-owned Small Medium and Micro Enterprises (SMMEs) encounter. A qualitative research approach was followed in order to understand the challenges faced by women in the SMME sector. The findings of the study revealed that women were interested in using ICTs and that the main challenge that inhibited them from using ICTs was related to finance. Recommendations are provided to advice on how the challenges identified in the findings can be addressed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The field of information and communication technology for development is a field constantly changing as new ICT tools emerge and new knowledge is gained by field researchers while performing their duties. The research problem: The ICT field is littered with examples of failed projects because field researchers did not know the best way to carry out their work. This paper is about knowledge imparted by six monitoring and evaluation field researchers after working for almost eight years, from 2010 to 2018, in ICT platform (DD) projects. These platforms were deployed across South Africa's remote rural areas. The work followed interpretivism as its philosophy and was underpinned by qualitative research methods. Written project reports, face-to-face interviews and questionnaires were used to collect data and also to triangulate the findings. Participatory evaluation formed the basis for a complete understanding of the findings. (i) Planning; (ii) Deployment; and iii) Usage were found to be critical elements for a successful implementation of the DD. Although well planned, numerous lessons were still learned for the benefit of future projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

South African Universities are tasked with increasing student throughput by offering additional academic support. A second task is to teach students to challenge and question. One way of attempting to achieve these tasks is by using Information and Communication Technology (ICT). The focus of this paper is to examine the effect of using an ICT tool to both increase academic support to students, and to teach critical thinking skills. A field study comparing a Project Management course at the University of Cape Town over two successive years was conducted. In the second year an ICT mediated constructivist approach (DFAQ web site) in which students acquired project management skills was used to increase support and teach critical thinking skills. Structuration theory, in particular the notion of practical and discursive consciousness, was used to inform our understanding of the role of questioning on teaching project management. The conclusion is that a constructive approach, mediated by an anonymous web-based consultative environment, the Dynamic Frequently Asked Questions (DFAQ) improved support to students and had an effect on student learning of project management and students acquired some questioning skills as evidenced in the examination performance. The efficacy of the approach was evaluated both through an interpretive study of DFAQ artifacts and the performance in the examination. The paper examines relevant literature, details the research objectives, describes a field survey, and the results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Technology is a key driver of change, not least in the world of work. Yet little is known about what technologies are used by – or impact on – the working poor in the informal economy, and in what ways. This paper presents findings from a 2015 study by the WIEGO network and local partners in three cities: Ahmedabad, India; Durban, South Africa; and Lima, Peru. The findings reveal that informal workers in the study cities are using diverse tools, from manual devices to electrical equipment and internet platforms, to strengthen their livelihoods. Overall, the tools used tend to be basic. Often they are being adapted in ingenious ways in order to adapt to resource and other constraints. Take-up of improved tools is limited by low incomes and concerns about theft and confiscation. It is also affected by city-level, context-specific systems of energy, transport and waste. This paper summarizes which types of technologies are most useful to different sectors of informal workers. It argues that the policy and regulatory environment, and city-wide technological systems, should be more responsive to the technological and other needs of the urban informal workforce. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is no doubt of the contributions made by mobile phones and mobile network operators in increasing access to communications in rural areas of developing countries. Yet how affordable is this ubiquitous access in such an ICT ecosystem? Using data from two stratified random surveys conducted in a South African rural community, this paper provides a unique in-depth picture of the expenditure and communication patterns of its dwellers. Results show a high access ratio of people using mobile phone services weekly and a high proportion of disposable income dedicated to a very constrained set of mobile phone services. Factors such as mobile phone charging and the extra charges added by airtime resellers contribute to increase the communication costs. This data and its analysis can be used by the following: regulators and government agencies to better design their policy implementations to provide universal service and access; competing industry players to understand the dynamics within rural communities to better target their products; civil society organizations to use it as a case in their efforts to make affordable communications a constitutional right. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This article draws upon the experiences gained in participating in an Information and Communication Technology for Rural Education (ICT4RED) initiative, as part of a larger Technology for Rural Education project (TECH4RED) in Cofimvaba in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. The aim of this paper is to describe the conceptualisation, design and application of an innovative teacher professional development course for rural teachers, enabling them to use tablets to support teaching and learning in their classrooms. The course, as outcome, is presented as a Teacher Tablet Toolkit, designed to meet the challenges inherent to the 21st century rural technology enhanced teaching and learning environment. The paper documents and motivates design decisions, derived from literature and adapted through three iterations of a Design Science Research Process, to be incorporated in the ICT4RED Teacher Professional Development Course. The resulting course aims to equip participating teachers with a toolkit consisting of technology hardware, pragmatic pedagogical and technology knowledge and skills, and practice based experience. The significance of game design elements such as simulation and fun, technology in need rather than in case, adequate scaffolding and a clear learning path with interim learning goals are noted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) tools provide an ideal mechanism by which students can interact closely with their lecturers in an open distance learning (ODL) context. This is especially true for students with disabilities who require access through alternative formats. This paper demonstrates teaching and learning practices in an ODL institution in South Africa, with a focus on the indispensable role of lecturers and tutors in an online learning setting. The paper employs the Community of Inquiry, which sees the effective online learning environment through three elements: cognitive, social, and teaching presence. The findings shed light on the use of vision-based approaches in course design; limited implementation of open-access policies, and the academic faculty's lack of knowledge on how to facilitate inclusive learning. The paper concludes by presenting a proposed student-centred framework that seeks to facilitate inclusive teaching and learning towards positive and inclusive learning experiences for students. The proposed framework could be beneficial during pandemic situations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes the habitus and technological practices of a South African rural student in his first year at university. This student is one of five self-declared rural students, from a group of 23 first-years in four South African universities, whose access to, and use of, technologies in their learning and everyday lives was investigated in 2011 using a 'digital ethnography' approach. Their digital practices, in the form of their activities in context, were collected through multiple strategies in order to provide a nuanced description of the role of technologies in their lives. The student reported on here came from a school and a community with very little access to information and communication technologies (ICTs). While the adjustment to first year can be challenging for all students, the findings show that this can be especially acute for students from rural backgrounds. The study provides an analysis of one student's negotiation of a range of technologies six to nine months into his first year at university. Earlier theoretical concepts provide a lens for describing his practices through a consideration of his habitus, and access to and use of various forms of capitals in relation to the fields - especially that of higher education - in which he was situated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research paper explores the gender disparities in accessing and using information and communication technologies (ICT) in various local municipalities in South Africa. A statistical technique called small area estimation (SAE) is utilized to improve the accuracy of the estimates. It involves using both the 2016 Community Survey (CS2016) and the Population Census 2011 (PC2011) and applying methods such as the log-transformed spatial Fay-Herriot (FH) and the hierarchical Bayes spatial FH models. According to the results, the digital statistics estimates generated by the SAE methods at the local municipality level are more precise and efficient than the direct design-based estimates. In other words, combining the CS2016 and PC2011 datasets with the spatial information resulted in more precise estimates. The results also indicate a digital divide between men and women. Specifically, South African men tend to use the internet more than women. However, disparities in cell phone ownership have diminished at the national level, and the gap in some local municipalities, such as Kheis, Midvaal, Kgatelopele, Thabazimbi, and Karoo Hoogland, is >30 %. The results provide evidence of the digital gender divide within South African households at the local municipality level. Indeed, as the Fourth Industrial Revolution is now underway, the analysis of digital statistics can provide policymakers with a clear picture of South Africa's readiness level to welcome this revolution. • The digital gender divide was examined at the local municipality level in South Africa. • The 2016 Community Survey and the 2011 Census datasets were combined by utilizing SAE models. • The spatial Fay-Herriot (FH) and the HB spatial FH models were taken into account. • Men in South Africa tend to use the internet more frequently than women. • The gap in the ownership of cell phones has decreased on a national level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study assesses the effectiveness of compliance inspection in ensuring the quality of ICT products and services at the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA). The Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) is an independent regulatory body of the South African government, established in 2000 by the ICASA Act to regulate both the telecommunications and broadcasting sectors in the public interest. The ICASA approved label, found on internationally manufactured products, implies the products meet quality standards, stipulated by ICASA. A qualitative study using interviews from a sample of 13 participants was carried out. The study found that there are functional integration challenges that are reflected in inspection activities and outcomes, which are not reported to relevant departments, while other supporting activities, such as the provision of security personnel during site inspection, are not made available to support effective compliance inspection activities and effectiveness. The study also found randomized inspections help to cut down on risks. Lastly, the study noted a profound lack of a post-market surveillance in place to continuously ensure that the equipment and the systems, placed in the market, maintain conformance with the applicable technical standards. The study further revealed that licensees lack adequate information and knowledge regarding compliance regulations and acts, which fosters non-compliance and renders compliance inspection ineffective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Small-scale food producers can benefit significantly from the adoption and effective utilization of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs). For example, ICTs can help improve food production and access to markets, which is particularly valuable in many Sub-Saharan African countries that both urbanize rapidly but whose food systems still rely significantly on small-scale food producers. This study examines the adoption patterns and desirable characteristics of ICTs, as well as the factors influencing them, among small-scale food producers engaged in urban agriculture in South Africa. We administered 85 in-person surveys through referrals from local producers' network in disadvantaged areas of Cape Town (n =21; Gugulethu, Philippi, Khayelitsha) and Johannesburg (n = 64; Central Business District, Soweto, Orange Farm). A substantial proportion of the respondents articulated the need for food- related mobile applications with functions that facilitate price comparisons, and the sharing of best practices and health advice. User-friendliness, low internet data use, and affordability were perceived as the most important characteristics for such food-related mobile applications. Redundancy analysis (RDA) reveals that the socioeconomic and demographic characteristics of respondents significantly influence the desired functionalities of food apps and their preferred activities among the respondents. Producers that are married and have more children, have higher income and education, and own larger land holdings, show very distinct patterns in terms of desirable functions and uses for food apps. Our research underscores the need for comprehensive approaches to the development and promotion of food-related ICTs when targeting small-scale food producers. The barriers and needs identified here can help ICT developers, development agencies and policy-makers design fit-for-purpose interventions and policies to facilitate ICT adoption among urban small-scale food producers in rapidly urbanizing areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of South Africa’s identified priorities is the implementation of ICT in education. To this end a phased implementation plan was initiated in 2004 for ICT to be implemented into schools across the country over eight years. During this time South Africa also participated in three international studies undertaken by the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA) focusing on ICT in Education. Each of these permitted the country to benchmark its progress in terms of other countries and their implementation of ICT in education. The latest study, SITES 2006 provides a useful set of indicators against which South Africa can evaluate its progress with regard to its implementation of ICT. This paper seeks to evaluate South Africa’s readiness to integrate ICT into mathematics and science classrooms. This was done using a number of indicators of “sustainable change” derived from SITES 2006 and then comparing these to countries such as Chile, Thailand and Norway, the former two with similar context and conditions and the latter with contrasting conditions. The findings reveal that whilst South Africa has made some progress since 1998 in terms of the implementation of ICT in education, that the majority of schools are still in their infancy regarding the acquisition of ICT and most of those who have access are still in the process of trying to integrate the ICT into their teaching and learning. It would appear that more fundamental needs in South Africa’s education system have dominated its priorities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - Wilson argues that knowledge management (KM) maturity is an extension of information management and effective management of work practices. Gallagher and Hazlett state that there is too much effort addressing technological concerns in KM while offering little practical assistance. Kruger and Snyman believe KM is a strategic resource with ICT and information management as enablers in establishing KM maturity. These three positions of KM growth and maturity reflect the huge spectrum of and diverse views. But, very little is known about the KM growth or maturity that occurs in different industries, or how employees and managers perceive growth in KM maturity. This paper aims to address these issues. Design/methodology/approach - From a large urban South African University engaged in numerous collaboration programmes with industry, the authors gain insight into the growth of KM in industry groupings over a five-year period. The authors apply an inventory developed by Kruger and Snyman to a set of 86 organisations distributed over nine economic sectors in South Africa. In total 434 employees are interviewed over three group levels (operational, middle and senior management). This is achieved by interviewing 178 senior practitioners in three subjects (one in each group level). Findings - Analysis of the growth in KM maturity, as it relates to different organisational sizes, reveals that there are statistical differences between the score reported by small, medium, large and extra-large organisations and between the scores reported by senior, middle and operational personnel. Findings also indicate that growth in KM differs between industry groupings, with high growth in construction, building materials and mining (± 70 per cent), and low growth in educational institutions (± 40 per cent). Originality/value - This paper is of relevance to KM practitioners interested in gaining insight into KM maturity growth that occurred in different organisational groupings and at different operational levels across an extremely diversified environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ICT skills are critical to the success of enhancing national development in a globalised era (see World Bank ). Rudimentary intermediate-level ICT skills necessary to function optimally in basic computer-related environments are crucial to national competitiveness in a developing context. The supply of these skills provided predominantly by private, non-state institutions in most developing contexts is considerably under-researched (see Atchoarena and Esquieu ). This paper provides a rationale for the suitability of private sector intermediate-level ICT provisioning, exploring peculiarities of provisioning in the South African context. The features associated with the varied provider types and the response to the multiplicity of learner and client groups serve as crucial features of suitability. It posits the view that the capacity of the sector to respond effectively to skill needs provides the basis for national development in the South African context. The culpability of the sector in responding effectively to rapid technological developments provides the basis for its suitability to private provision forms. Lessons from this work and its impacts on national regulation of private ICT provision will provide important insights for other developing contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2015 the Western Cape Government (WCG) in South Africa introduced the e-Learning Game Changer initiative to offer teachers in public schools information and communications technology (ICT) resources to improve their pedagogy. Despite the efforts by the WCG to improve ICT use for teaching in public schools, successful ICT integration hardly takes place in several historically disadvantaged (albeit affluent) schools, which constitute a minority of schools in the Western Cape. The primary aim of this study was to investigate those conversion factors allowing or impeding teachers in two public primary schools in the Western Cape from attaining the potential capabilities required for successful ICT integration. Amartya Sen's capability approach was used as the study's theoretical framework. The study employed a qualitative research method involving 10 educators observed during their lessons and interviewed. The findings confirmed that only a few conversion factors, such as the attainment of ICT skills through a community of practice and university training by the teachers, provided them with capabilities to use ICT to deliver curriculum content and perform basic ICT skills effectively. Several conversion factors, including teachers' age, provincial and school policies, infrastructure and resources, prevented these teachers from realising their ICT potential. This study contends that the White Paper on e-Education (2004) policy might benefit from the results, which could help to build or rethink programmes that encourage continual teacher training. Transdisciplinarity Contribution: This research shows that policymakers need to take into consideration the conversion factors that may impact teachers' capabilities to deliver curriculum utilising ICTs. This study's findings provide new light on how these conversion factors limit or expand teachers' ICT capabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This review paper focuses on likely reasons for the rhetoric-reality gap in the use of educational information and communication technology. It is based on the assumption that the present challenges being experienced with educational ICT might be avoided in the future if we look at the current challenges from a different perspective, by revisiting past research to gain insights from the history of innovations in educational technology. Seven major lessons emerging from the review could inform future directions so that the future does not simply replicate the disappointing results achieved thus far. We argue that the vision for ICT has been unrealistically ambitious, and review reasons to justify this point of view. We suggest that setting more attainable goals, based on the actuality of educational contexts, might be a more pragmatic way to go in a future of constantly changing educational technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the implementation of grassroots e-government services in South Africa posing the questions: How are e-government services situated in South Africa's governance framework. In what ways can grassroots egovernment services be benchmarked, and to what extent are grassroots e-government services implemented in South Africa? The literature reveals that South Africa's institutional governance framework positions local government as key to achieving better public service delivery and transformation at local and community levels and through early adoption placed information and communications technology (ICT) in its governance operations. With regard to ways with which to benchmark egovernment, it was identified that the egovernment research area is broad and complex, making it difficult to study exhaustively across all its dimensions with a multiplicity of accepted metrics on the main quantitative negating other non-technical dimensions applicable at any level of implementation. It was evident that the implementation of grassroots e-government services is ad-hoc, only just emerging and becoming more visible particularly on the supply side level. However, service customisation for relevance lags significantly. Given the intricate synergy between e-government and service delivery, the provision of grassroots e-government services would empower citizens' democratic participation in governance, broaden ownership and ultimately lead to e-democracy through increased e-participation. The implications for theory and practice of this study include that there is continued theoretical and practical interest generated by the e-government concept. Scholars of diverse disciplines interrogate various aspects of egovernment while practitioners seek for ways to improve its implementation. Even as e-government research at the grassroots has grown, critics point that empirical studies to inform policy are limited. There is also an acute need to build a theoretical base on the customisation of e-government for relevance to needs at the local grassroots levels to inform subject understanding and consequently practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

COVID-19 is affecting the functioning of most countries globally, creating a situation now described as the "new normal"--a time of unexpected educational change. The national lockdown, accompanied by the closure of educational institutions, brought economic hardship and deepened the digital divide between the rich and the poor. Educational institutions capable of transitioning to an online mode of delivery made that shift, while the majority of South Africa's schools remained excluded due to poverty and lack of technological infrastructure. The educational sector is at wits' end to find strategies to curtail the growing digital divide. This paper offers a digital resource mobilisation approach as framework to keep schools on the path to achieving the National Development Plan's aim of ICT capacitation. To consider developmental possibilities and respond to the digital exclusion of township schools, we asked the question: "What are the online teaching and learning experiences of school stakeholders?" Responses to this question assisted development of a digital resource mobilisation theory that is offered as a viable approach to digital inclusion and social change. Data were collected by telephonic interviews with three teachers, three learners, three school governing body parents, and one school principal. Based on the findings, recommendations for digital inclusion are suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the huge potential of information and communication technology (ICT) to assist communities to increase their overall well-being through community development, there are relatively few examples of sustained community networks built around ICT when compared to commercial applications, even in the developed countries where the technology has been increasingly available for up to 20 years. Researchers report a wide range of potential success factors and impediments. Pre-eminent amongst these is that collaborative partnerships, social network strategies and the building of social capital at the local level are key issues for the successful adoption of ICT for development. In this paper, the authors describe two successful community ICT projects whose success depended on the use of a collaborative methodology involving universities, governments, and communities. Central to this approach is the involvement of the community in all parts of the project. By using such an approach, we acknowledge the rich creativity that exists in each local community and that this creativity can be harnessed in the creation of a community network, which in turn empowers the community. Researchers in universities can play a crucial role in facilitating this collaborative approach. Can the authors now facilitate similar projects with equal success in South Africa and in the small island developing states of the Caribbean? [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Discourses about Internet and rights generate ideological, economic, and policy debates that bring to prominence the question of citizenship in today's digital age. But what does Internet access as a citizen's right imply? What are the pragmatic meanings of the intersection of citizenship, rights, and technology access? Specifically, what does citizens' right to technology mean for African states? This paper examines citizenship, rights, and Internet in South Africa, and attempts to move the discourse beyond philosophical rhetoric to practical policy interpretations. To do this, the study examines interpretations and reactions of policy-makers to the idea of Internet access as a citizen's right, and through a survey explores the views of many youth on this subject. Findings reveal strong opinions about rights and technology access in South Africa. For policy-makers, the reality of the socioeconomic challenges of Africa humbles an egalitarian aspiration of rights and Internet access. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The purpose of this paper is to produce a framework to help guide the contribution of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) to the development of rural areas. Researchers argue that Information and Communication for Development (ICT4D) projects have a high failure rate and seldom meet their expectations. However, research also shows that billions worth of funds have been spent on ICT4D projects in developing countries. Studies suggest that the reason for failure is largely because of the lack of frameworks to guide development through ICT in developing countries. This study presents the findings of a case study research project evaluating two rural ICT cases to determine how the success rate of ICT4D projects can be improved. The researcher interviewed individuals who have participated in ICT4D projects in Alice and Dwesa; both projects were based in rural areas in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. The output of this study is a framework that can help guide the contribution of ICTs to development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]