Telecommunications & IT
Botswana has transformed its telecom and IT capability over the last decade. Taking a forward-thinking approach encouraging outside investment has reaped huge benefits for Batswana, the local citizens.
Great leap forward in infrastructure
With the 1996 Telecommunications Act, Botswana became the first country in Africa to establish an independent regulatory body – the Botswana Telecommunications Authority (BTA) – to regulate and license all telecommunications activity. Botswana gradually liberalized the sector, introducing mobile phone services in 1998 with two private operators.
Today Botswana has one of the best digital networks in Africa, and boasts a tele-density rate among the highest in southern Africa. Botswana uses digital microwave and fiber optic systems with digital exchanges. United States Ambassador Joseph Huggins points out that since calls are presently routed through London, there is an opportunity for call centers in Botswana.
The Economic Commission of Africa (ECA) 2004 Economic Report on Africa highlights Botswana’s tremendous progress in infrastructure. From its previous 20th-place ranking, Botswana has moved up to fourth place. The report praises “Botswana’s telecommunications revolution” and says the country’s commitment to “improving the level and quality of basic telecommunications services, backed by strong policy strategies has brought increased competition, diversification and efficiency to the sector.”
Mascom
“We plan to offer even better services, especially through GPRS.”
José Ferreira, CEO Mascom
Mascom, licensed in 1998 to establish, maintain and operate one of Botswana’s two GSM mobile network operators, is ranked market leader in its sector in Botswana with more than 65 percent market share. The company is committed to helping to bring telecommunications services to all the country’s citizens and to promoting Botswana’s on-going development, and is known for its strong support of community-service initiatives. Mascom now has the country’s widest coverage, biggest dealer network and most extensive customer-service system of any mobile operator, and serves a total of around 390,000 individual customers.
José Ferreira, CEO, believes that the quality of Mascom’s staff has been instrumental in the company’s success. “We have taken class-leading products, and built a world-class network, through world-class people,” he points out. Mascom also differentiates itself through technological advancement and has launched GPRS services.
Mascom’s offerings include a pre-paid service, Mascom Flexi-Call; contract services involving a monthly fixed rate and call charges; international roaming through agreements with international partners; and network services, which include voice mail, fax, sms2email and a large value added services portfolio like ring tones and logos.
Mascom is also engaged in Social Responsibility Programs that target HIV/AIDS, Education, Sports, Road Safety and the general development of the community.
As for the future, Ferreira says that Mascom will soon launch the next generation of wireless services to enable customers to send and receive pictures and access the Internet with their mobile telephones. “These services will enable corporations and organizations to customize communication solutions for their special needs and requirements. We also plan to offer even better services, especially through GPRS, which will bring a new dimension into mobile communications in Botswana,” he adds.
Ferreira predicts continued growth for Mascom, even in a saturated market like Botswana’s market which penetration rate is one of the highest in Africa with 35 percent. He says, “The infectious energy, positive outlook, openness and participation of everyone who works here at Mascom reflects the best of what Botswana has to offer.”
ICL Botswana
“We are strategically positioned in the marketplace at the right time.”
Anderson Kgomotso, Managing Director ICL Botswana
ICL Botswana, formerly part of the Fujitsu Group, is a leading IT Services and Solutions provider and has been operating in the market since 1977. In September 2004 the company became a 100 percent Citizen Company through a management Buy-Out. The company currently has a staff compliment of 25 with offices in Gaborone, Francistown and Orapa.
ICL Botswana’s key objective is to evaluate, develop, deploy and manage information technology solutions to help clients become more competitive. Consequently ICL Botswana is completely vendor-independent, hence provides solutions and services across most of the hardware vendors.
Anderson Kgomotso, MD of ICL Botswana explains that, “We do not just deliver solutions, but also stay close to our clients to continuously adapt to their evolving needs. The company’s capacity to deliver world class solutions and services to its customers is firmly entrenched in our people. We have set ourselves apart from the rest by continuously developing our people in an industry where there is very high turnover due to shortage of IT skills in the country. As a result of this, ICL Botswana has developed the capacity and track record to develop a long-term business relationship with its clients.”
Having been ISO 9000 certified since 1996, ICL Botswana works to the highest international standards, offering best-of-breed technology and services. It has also adopted PRINCE II project management methodology to deliver its projects successfully to its clients.
ICL Botswana has been a Microsoft Certified Solution Partner since 2000. Another important partnership developed over the past years is that with FrontRange Solutions, for which ICL Botswana has also been providing HEAT and GOLDMINE solutions to clients since 2000. In 2003, the company was awarded Gold status for the design, development, implementation and support of HEAT systems, and acquired Platinum status in 2004.
More recently, ICL Botswana has been appointed a Sybase partner. This will enable it to deliver solutions in wireless technology, business intelligence (BI) and data warehousing and integrating across platforms like IBM, UNIX, Linux and Microsoft.
ICL Botswana has a large customer base from small and medium-sized enterprises all the way through to multinationals, parastatal organizations and government departments. Department of Information and Technology (DIT), Water Utilities Corporation, Debswana Orapa mine, Mascom and Barclays Bank Botswana are some of the organizations that the company has worked closely with.
World InformationTechnology Forum WITFOR
IFIP brings WITFOR to africa
Alicia Ramaribana, Spokesperson Witfor
In August 2005, Africa’s largest diamond producer, Botswana, will host the second prestigious World Information Technology Forum (WITFOR 2005). The first WITFOR was held in Lithuania in 2003.
WITFOR is a major global ICT initiative aimed at accelerating development for the world’s developing countries and countries in transition. To be held in Botswana’s capital, Gaborone, from August 31st to September 2nd, 2005 it will be hosted by the Government of Botswana in collaboration with the International Federation of Information Processing (IFIP), an NGO of UNESCO.
The conference is significant both for Botswana and the rest of the developing world. It will identify ways to accelerate development and bridge the technology divide, leading to tangible benefits.
WITFOR’s spokesperson, Alicia Ramaribana is excited about what WITFOR can achieve. “Decision makers should understand the potential that ICT holds for their businesses and, particularly, in developing and emerging economies. ICT should be seen as an indispensable tool and not a luxury. The major aim of WITFOR is to communicate this message in the form of case studies and implementable projects,” she points out.
WITFOR has a number of aims. It wants to stimulate research and development, as well as the application of ICT processes, on a global scale. It acts as a forum where ICT practitioners can plan international strategies. It brings together NGOs, governments, academics, individuals and professional organizations, with a focus on the needs of developing nations. WITFOR will also formulate IT education and training programs, and help set international standards for IT development and application.
Multinational IT firms will be presenting case studies that can be used as models for companies in developing countries, making WITFOR a truly international event. WITFOR is being promoted internationally through embassies and trade missions, academic and media channels, and international and regional organizations like the UN, EU, ACP, SADC and the African Union.
