Extension of Submission of Public Comments on the Draft Data and Cloud Policy to 01 June 2021

 All Media Houses: Immediate Release.

On April 01 2021, the Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies published a Draft Data and Cloud Policy for public comments for a period of 30 working days in Government Gazette No. 44411 with an initial comment deadline of 18 May 2021.

Amongst others, the draft policy makes provision for the following policy interventions:

• Consolidation of existing networks of State-owned Enterprises such as SENTECH, Broadband Infraco, shall be developed to form a State Digital Infrastructure Company (“SDIC”) to provide network connectivity.

• Establishment of a High Performance Computing and Data Processing Centre (HPCDPC) that will include Processing and Data facilities that incorporate Cloud and consolidating existing public funded data centres shall be established for cloud compute capacity, leveraging existing computing capacity and technical capabilities of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and SITA.

• Establishment of an open data platform that will give access to all the digital data housed within the HPCDPC, with open APIs

• Development of National Open Data Strategy

• Stimulation of digital economic development, innovation, and enablement of SMME development.

To date the Department has received extensive comments on the policy since the publication, which demonstrates a commitment by South Africans to engage extensively with its policies. The department notes the number of stakeholder organisations and structures who wish to consult their members to provider strategic input to the Draft Data and Cloud Policy.

Recognising that the policy can be strengthened by taking consideration of inputs and views of all interested South Africans, the Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies, Ms Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams, has granted approval for the extension of submission of public comments on the Draft Data and Cloud Policy to 01 June 2021.

Interested persons are invited to submit written submissions in relation to the proposed policy, marked for the attention of Ms Cynthia Lesufi at the following contact details:

1.) The Director-General, Department of Communications and Digital Technologies First Floor, Block A3, iParioli Office Park, 1166 Park Street, Hatfield, Pretoria3 Private Bag X860, Pretoria, 0001 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.; Tel: 076 529 7374

or 2.) Complete online at the following link: https://forms.office.com/r/mTc6cBvgfh

or 3.) Scan this QR code to access online submission form from your smartphone Comments received after the extended closing date may be disregarded, attached on downloaded document on the bottom.  

For Media Enquiries: Siphiwo Nzawumbi: Department of Communications and Digital Technologies Spokesperson - 061 491 1802.

Mish Molakeng: Ministry of Communications and Digital Technologies - 082 469 3997

Download Document here:Extension of Submission of Public Comments on the Draft Data and Cloud Policy to 01 June 2021