Waiting for a Hero: Dramatism Analysis of South Africa’s ICT Development

ABSTRACT

A critical and comprehensive reflection of information and communication technology (ICT) is needed to prepare South Africa for the fourth industrial revolution (4IR). Through one uncommonly used theoretical framework in analysing ICT development—dramatism analysis—this article examines South Africa’s ICT development. By examining the nature and features of the development through this framework, this article highlights the multitude of South Africa’s ICT role players, the tensions among them and the unfulfilled roles from any potential hero in South Africa’s ICT drama. The analysis also exposes a shortcoming in current South African ICT literature, which privileges certain aspects of supply-side analysis over other critical supply side as well as demand-side analysis. The article finds that South Africa’s ICT development has largely been unsuccessful due to lack of strong leaders who are able to fulfil the role of a hero, which in turn impedes the country’s ability to take advantage of the opportunities and respond to the challenges presented by the 4IR.

KEYWORDS:

• Dramatism analysis
• ICT development
• Hero
• South Africa and 4IR

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 IDRC partly funded the drafting of the Telecommunications Act of 1996 (Wild and MnCube 1996). It was also directly involved in SAITIS, which was “Launched as a bilateral development assistance project” (Benner 2003: 14).

2 https://www.gov.za/about-sa/communications.

3 Including “the awarding of a privileged Wireless Open Access Network (WOAN) licence, spectrum management, the establishment of a new economic regulator, and the role of the Minister” (RIA 2018: 34).

4 In addition to ICASA, DCDT also governs ICT related entities including: Universal Service and Access Fund, Brand South Africa, Film and Publication Board, Media Development and Diversity Agency, South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC), South African Post Office, National Electronic Media Institute of South Africa, SANDA (SA’s internet domain administrator), among others.

5 For example, in the White Paper, the minister takes over the responsibility to determine which unassigned high-demand spectrum should be assigned to WOAN and grant the price-setting power prescribed.

6 According to Genesis Analytics, which testified on the commission’s behalf, Telkom tried to induce customers not to deal with its downstream competitors. https://www.genesis-analytics.com/news/2015/abuse-of-dominance-complaint-against-telkom-results-in-r449-million-fine.

7 Sentech and Telkom are the only companies offered satellite options (Stucke 2015).

8 Figures differ slightly, for example the government 40.5 per cent and 12.4 per cent (Marketscreener nd), while government 39 per cent and 11.65 per cent, respectively (Le Cordeur 2017).

9 ICT being typically male, with a “geeky” or “nerdy” appearance, socially inept, “boring” or reserved only for those students who were top in their class.

10 https://pmg.org.za/committee-meeting/4744/.

11 https://www.gov/za/about-sa/communications.