Interview: Alison Gillwald on the state of ICT in SA

Loading player...
In this episode of the podcast, Duncan McLeod interviews Research ICT Africa executive director Alison Gillwald about the state of South Africa's ICT sector.
Gillwald, who also serves as adjunct professor at the University of Cape Town's Nelson Mandela School of Public Governance, talks about what the country is getting right - and wrong - in expanding access to technology and the Internet.
Why have smaller and better-priced mobile operators struggled to win over customers from the dominant players? How can South Africa get smart devices in the hands of more people? What is the role of a universal service fund? Should government be involved directly in the telecommunications industry, or should it get out?
Does government's planned wholesale open-access network make sense? How should radio frequency spectrum be licensed? Are Vodacom and MTN too dominant, and if so what could and should be done to address this?
Gillwald discusses all of these questions, and much more, in the podcast. Don't miss it!
10 Sep 2018 English South Africa Technology · Business

Other recent episodes

TCS+ | Inside MTN's big brand overhaul

The Better Connection. Everywhere You Go. Or simply just Y’ello. Brand identity matters, and MTN South Africa – one of South Africa’s most valued brands – is keenly aware of that fact. Indeed, when a big consumer brand changes its brand positioning, it’s always a big deal – not only…
10 Apr 31 min

TCS | Discovery Bank CEO Hylton Kallner on tech, AI and the future of banking

Discovery Bank CEO Hylton Kallner believes technology is fundamental to the company’s success. Kallner, an actuary who joined Discovery in its early days as a medical insurance company and who has held various senior leadership roles over the years, tells TechCentral editor Duncan McLeod about the group’s decision to launch…
23 Mar 37 min

Across South Africa in an EV: how one man did it before charging stations

Shaun Maidment crossed South Africa in an electric car, a BMW i3, before there was a network of charging infrastructure along the national routes – and he has a heck of a story to tell about his adventure. Charging infrastructure along South Africa’s national routes is now so commonplace that…
13 Mar 40 min