"Digital reporting must not elude Africa"

  1. Posted on Friday 12 September 2008 - 08:32
    Sam Banda Junior
    Image of Sam Banda Junior
    Sam Banda Junior, AfricaNews reporter, reporting from Grahamstown, SA
    Africa media must take advantage of the current digital revolution to catch up with the rest of the world, South Africa's Deputy Minister of Communication, Radhakrishna Padayachie said. He noted that the use of mobile phones in reporting helps engage the local people in the development of ICT.
    mobile reporter
    Padayachie said that the media need to educate the people in the continent on the use of Information and Communication Technology. He spoke at the just ended 12th Highway Africa conference in Grahamstown, South Africa.

    “We in Africa run the risk of missing out on the digital revolution in the world. If we look at an underground map of cables, we will find one cable that links Africa to the world,” he said.

    He observed that the biggest restriction to the digital revolution in Africa is poor infrastructure with prohibitive cost of importing broadband to most African countries. The use of current trends in the digital world such as the internet is being inhibited as a result of high cost.

    The conference is a gathering of African journalists, media and information experts among others from countries like Malawi, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Nigeria, Uganda, Kenya, Ghana, Botswana, DRC and Swaziland.

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