Read time: 3 minutes

DStv partners with Namibia on ICT education drive

DStv partners with Namibia on ICT education drive

DStv and Namibia's Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture (MoEAC) have signed a long-term memorandum of understanding (MoU) to partner on education development through ICT in the country.

The MoU comes only a few months after a call made by the government at its annual Namibia International Investment Conference (NIIC) in Windhoek in November 2016 for more private sector investment in ICT.

Roger Gertze, General Manager of MultiChoice in Namibia said the agreement will be implemented through 300 MultiChoice Resource Centres (MRC) in Namibian schools.

MRCs are equipped with ICT infrastructure, including a television,Personal Video Recorder (PVR) decoder and satellite dish, and will provide technical assistance regarding installation.

"With the signing of the MoU, we are not only talking about enriching lives but demonstrating our commitment. The schools are then given access the DStv Education Bouquet free of charge. A key strength of the programme is that it is implemented in partnership with the Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture to harness the strength of each partner towards the overall objective of enriching the lives of Namibian learners. MultiChoice Namibia provides the ICT equipment and infrastructure to the schools and centres selected by the Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture. The Ministry provides educational support to participating schools on the utilisation of the resources and liaises with MultiChoice on the selection of the schools to participate in the project," said Gertze.

Nambia made a plea for business to back its efforts in ICT development during NIIC through an address by Tjekero Tweya, Minister of Information and Communication Technology (MICT).

Tweya said ICT is a crucial enabler for innovation, sustainable socio-economic development and a knowledge-based economy as envisaged in the country's vision 2030.

He added that in today's era ICTs are used as a planning tool that directly influences areas upon which a country can build its economy and that the ICT sector can generate significant growth and wealth in its own right.

Sanet Steenkamp, Permanent Secretary of the MoEAC, who represented the government at the signing of the MoU with Multichoice, explained the nature of the partnership. "This marks the partnership [and] not sponsorship between MultiChoice and the Ministry as partnerships are more fruitful."

The PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) 2016 business and investment guide for Namibia launched during NIIC noted that Namibia is growing its focus on improving ICTs.

MultiChoice Namibia launched in the country 25 years ago as a joint venture with Kalahari Holdings. The company says the key focus of its partnership with the government over the next three years will be to upgrade the existing MRCs across the country with the latest equipment, including flat-screen TVs and DStv Explora decoders.

Daily newsletter