By Kathy Gibson in Stockholm, Sweden – A high-level Swedish trade and political delegation will meet with South African government in a few weeks to further the two countries’ bi-national trade agreements and to discuss ways to promote and further the use of ICT in the country.
Sweden’s deputy prime minister will meet with South Africa’s deputy president Kgalema Motlanthe to discuss synergies in terms of energy, clean technology and ICT.
Sweden is in a good position to tender advice on the use of ICT in growing business, having been extremely successful in transforming its own economy through technology.
In fact, Sweden is ranked number one in the world in terms of Internet accessibility and number one in the digital economy, says Olov Hemstrom, area co-ordinator: sub-Saharan Africa at Business Sweden.
Some of the technologies that have come out of Swedish innovation include GSM and Bluetooth, while well-known Swedish ICT companies include Skype and Spotify.
The country currently boasts 92% Internet coverage, 135% mobile coverage and 32% fixed broadband coverage.
In addition to connectivity, the networks in Sweden are available at a very low cost, Hemstrom says – certainly cheaper than in any African country.
Among the drivers that have contributed to this scenario are strong public-private sector partnerships, a non-aligned regulator, involved municipalities and a deregulated environment.
“There is so much that can be learned, that we can adjust to each country,” Hemstrom says. “New jobs are, to a large extent created in the ICT industry,” he point out, adding that the same holds true in Africa, where mobile connectivity has had a major impact on people’s lives.
“Access to technology is also important for attracting investment into a country,” he says. “Job creation and diversification are important. ICT has been important for us in Sweden and we believe it will be super-critical for creating jobs in Africa.”
In sub-Saharan Africa, the ICT industry is currently recording growth rates of 40% and more, a trend that has continued for the last five years and is set to continue for the foreseeable future.
Business Sweden is the organisation tasked with promoting Swedish business interests around the world, and has a particular focus on Africa.
“We see an interest in sharing our knowledge through public, private and academic involvement,” says Hemstrom. “We want to see more Swedish companies taking part in the African economy.
“We believe we have a lot to share. There is growth in Africa and potential for more growth. We believe we can help to create jobs and diversify industries.”
A joint initiative of Business Sweden, Ericsson and the Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs earlier this year launched a two-year ICT venture aimed at increasing collaboration and trade between Sweden and key African countries.
The programme has three elements: needs analysis; workshops and meetings; and follow-up activities.
Workshops have already been held in Nigeria, Ghana and Angola, with a session scheduled to co-incide with the bi-national meeting taking place in Gauteng in October.
Hemstrom points out that Sweden continues to make substantial direct investment into Africa. In 2012, Sweden ploughed SEK 30-billion (about R45-billion) into the continent, up from about SEK10-billion (about R15-billion) 10 years ago.
The country also gets involved in human capital development and skills transfer through in-company training, university exchanges and entrepreneur programmes.
