Information Society is a society where everyone can create, utilize and share information and knowledge, enabling individuals, communities and people to achieve their full potential in promoting sustainable development and improving their quality of life.
– World Summit on the Information Society
INSPIRE – Provincial Information Society Strategy Programme in the Republic of South Africa
The role of information society development is critical to both economic and social development in both South Africa as well as globally. The ability of a country to effectively integrate itself into the global economy depends on how well it develops its capacity to handle, absorb and utilise information technology. Improved access to information also has an impact on the awareness, education, and social and cultural development of the public. In South Africa there is a need for technology development and also for well defined regional information society development strategies, capacity building and human resource development.
The purpose of the INSPIRE programme is to fulfil the commitments made in the World Summit on the Information Society by developing the information society in the provinces of Limpopo and the Northern Cape. Two provinces have been selected as early adopters in South Africa. This creates good opportunities for economic growth, poverty reduction and bettering the lives of people in Northern Cape.
The information society in the Northern Cape will be implemented through a pilot project approach focusing on the adopted priority development areas for ICT applications, as indicated in the National ISAD Framework, provincial legislative mandates and provincial dynamics and challenges.
It is important to note that all other sectors, as defined in the PGDS of the province, would cut across the above mentioned priority development areas.
The objective of the INSPIRE programme
- Enhance the delivery and implementation of the provincial growth and development strategy (PGDS) for poverty alleviation
- To create an integrated, comprehensive and feasible inclusive provincial information society strategy in the provinces of Limpopo and Northern Cape
To establish South Africa as an advanced Information Society in which Information and Information Communication Technology tools are key drivers of economic and societal development.