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TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION

SA launches Science Diplomacy Capital

for Africa initiative

riday 8 July 2022 marked the launch the African Union Development Agency- science diplomacy collaboration. It will
of the Science Diplomacy Capital for NEPAD, the United Nations Development leverage opportunities during its three-
FAfrica initiative at its meeting hub, Programme South Africa, the United year development phase – opportunities
the CSIR International Convention Centre Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern that reconnect technology innovation
in Tshwane Ireland, and the Chinese Embassy. with humanity.
Following an introduction to the Given the same-day global launch of In taking this initiative beyond 2025,
Science Diplomacy Capital for Africa the International Year of Basic Sciences its four pillars must be reinforced–
initiative, speakers addressed the for Sustainable Development, it is apt inclusivity and transformation that
benefits of the initiative from the that one of the focus areas during the embed a culture of learning in the
perspective of multilateral science SDCfA’s development phase 2022-2025 context of sustainability and sound long-
diplomacy, looking ahead, the continent is how to add value to the Sustainable term governance. All these reinforce the
of Africa, tertiary education, business, Development Goals. Planning and leitmotif that we are stronger together
young scientists, civil society, the global implementation during 2022-23 includes – an integral part of South Africa’s new
community and diplomacy. the formation of working groups to Decadal Plan for Science, Technology and
Speakers represented the identify how value can be added to Innovation.
Departments of International Relations SDGs 4 and 10 – Education and Reduced Thirty four countries were amongst
and Cooperation, Industry and Inequalities. the 165 guests that included the Dean
Competition, Science & Innovation, the Partnerships are key to achieving of Diplomatic Corps in South Africa.
Presidential Climate Commission, the the main aim of the SDCfA initiative – to Africa was represented by ambassadors
African Academy of Sciences, the Future promote science collaboration across and other representatives from Eritrea,
Africa Institute – University of Pretoria, Africa and beyond. Partnerships are Algeria, Botswana, Burkina Faso, the
the Black Business Council, the South the strategic enabler for ‘The Africa Central African Republic, Egypt, Kenya,
African Young Academy of Science, the we want’. The SDCfA provides the Morocco, the Republic of Congo,
National Science and Technology Forum, environment to promote multilateral Somalia, South Africa and Zimbabwe.

NEC XON helps Africa’s MNOs

develop new 5G models

pen RAN frees customers from systems integration and vendor
vendor lock-in and provides ecosystem. It enables cost-effective
Ocost-effective roadmaps to 5G migrations that help them expand
adoption for Africa’s first and second- coverage, grow the subscriber base,
tier mobile network operators (MNOs) and enable new services,” says Wally
and communications service providers Beelders, executive of Communications
(CSPs). Solutions at NEC XON.
5G Open RAN enables new network “The complexity and interrelated
and business models by leveraging nature of open carrier-grade technology
low latency, high throughput and high requires collaboration,” says Beelders.
connection capacity benefits that help “We have long-term relationships
MNOs and CSPs prepare for emerging with the world’s leading names in 5G,
use cases, as well as those that cannot Open RAN, and related technologies Veritas. These organisations represent,
yet be predicted. including Rakuten Symphony, Juniper arguably, the leading global community
“Africa’s top networks want the Networks, Red Hat, NEC, ADVA, Airspan, who can deploy commercially viable 5G
benefits of 5G Open RAN’s open Cradlepoint, Fortinet, Polarium and Open RAN in Africa with us right now.”

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