National ICT industry associations from across Africa, meeting in the Pilanesberg on Sept. 26, agreed to establish the African Federation of Information and Communication Technology Associations (Aficta).
Aficta will be an alliance of African ICT industry associations, committed to the development of information and communication technologies in Africa.
Among its objectives will be advocacy with African governments and regional organizations, representing African ICT issues in international fora, promoting information and communication technologies into African economies and governments, and supporting ICT research and development in Africa.
Aficta will be associated with the World Information Technology and Services Alliance (Witsa), a global grouping of 65 national ICT industry associations.
Witsa has been holding meetings of its Public Policy and Steering Committees in SA, at which the decision to establish Aficta was made.
This was the first Witsa meeting to be held in Africa in the 28 years of its existence.
A steering committee has been set up to prepare within three months a budget, structure, constitution and detailed objectives for Aficta.
This committee consists of representatives of national ICT associations from Tunisia, Algeria, Senegal, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Zimbabwe and SA.
The convenor of the steering committee is Adrian Schofield, the president of Information Industry South Africa (IISA). South Africa was selected as the initial host country for Aficta.
