BACKWhat is this site about?
The site tells you everything to you need to know about the South African Internet economy and offers some recommendations on how the country can leverage the internet to accelerate economic growth.
Why has this report been produced?
The report has been produced in order to foster a better understanding of this important ‘silent engine’ of the South African economy. It has long been believed that South Africa has the largest Internet economy in Africa. However, just how much of a contribution the Internet makes to the overall economy has never been quantified. There have been numerous studies of the Internet's contribution to the economies of most advanced and developed nations, and almost none for developing countries such as South Africa.
In order to understand the impact of the Internet on the South African economy, Google South Africa commissioned World Wide Worx to prepare this independent report. The report is the first ever in-depth analysis of the Internet economy of an African country, and will hopefully pave the way for discussions on how African countries can leverage their respective strengths to use the Internet to accelerate economic growth.
Who was involved in this report?
Google commissioned World Wide Worx (WWW) to produce an independent analysis of the value of the South Africa’s Internet economy, the factors that are driving it, and how this will change in the future.
Google wants to help South African businesses get online and use the Internet to grow, and have launched programmes like South African Businesses Woza Online in order to help local businesses gain visibility online.
While the results of the report have been discussed with Google South Africa, WWW is responsible for the report’s analysis and conclusions.
Who is World Wide Worx?
Founded in 2000, World Wide Worx is South Africa’s leading independent technology research and strategy organisation, with a focus on technology in business strategy. It offers a range of independent reports as well as custom research and strategic services.
It provided the first benchmarks in Africa for evaluating online presence, and continues to innovate in this arena as the digital economy extends beyond the Internet. In offering strategic insight into the hi-tech economy, World Wide Worx also provides a powerful platform for decision support.
Who is Google?
Google’s mission is to organise the world‘s information and make it universally accessible and useful. Since its foundation in 1998, they have become one of the foremost Web search engines in the world. Through innovative advances in search technology, they have been able to provide Web users who conduct Web searches with quick and pertinent information.
Google delivers these services through a public site, www.google.com, and by licensing its search services to portals and commercial Web sites using its SiteSearch and WebSearch services. Google Inc. is currently making a major push to expand its user base in whole of the African continent.
