f. - UZSpace Home - University of Zululand

commodities on a daily basis. According to Opala, the use of the Internet to
track down prices for the benefit of these farms has been tried successfully
in neighboring Uganda and Zambia. In this way, the farmer is linked directly
to the producer, thereby increasing his chances of getting better prices and
profits.
2.3 Mapping and auditing of ICTs in South Africa and among rural
women
2.3.1 Background on South Africa
South Africa is situated at the southern tip of the African continent, and by
mid-200S, had an estimated population of about 46.9 million (Statistics
South Africa (Stats SA), in GCIS (2006/7:2)). According to the report, black
Africans were the majority (about 37, 2 million), and constituted about 79%
of the total South African population. The white population was estimated at
4.4 million, the coloured population at 4.1 million, and the Indian/Asian
population at 1.1 million.
Technologically, South Africa's history had been mostly confined to
agriculture and mining, until world war two, when the Council for Scientific
and Industrial Research was (CSIR) formed. According to Basson (1996), the
CSIR is the largest research development and implementation organization
in Africa, and became responsible for creating research capacity and
scientific and technological human resources on behalf of the nation. Within
the context of Reconstruction and Development (RDP), the CSIR is an
important component of the national science and technology infrastructure,
and supports the GSA industrial development. The CSIR also strengthens the
South African industry's ability to compete internationally, prOVides
technological support for small, medium and micro-enterprises, and supports
technology decision-making.
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