SAM GULUBE CEO of Universal Services Agency

In its ongoing battle to fight poverty and create jobs, the Universal Services Agency (USA) is a vital empowerment tool for disadvantaged communities by promoting an enabling environment to achieve universal service and access to information and communications technology (ICT) services. Sam Gulube, USA’s CEO says, “ICTs have brought opportunities to our people’s doorsteps in rural areas.”

The agency builds telecenters, or ICT community access points in remote areas, and cyberlabs, or school-based computer labs. Both provide e-education, e-health, e-government services, and e-business development of small, medium and microsize enterprises (SMMEs) to facilitate socio-economic development. Likewise, community e-readiness programs prepare people to use the ICT to which now they have access.

The advantages are endless. People no longer have to travel long distances to apply for ID documents, they can develop their own websites and they can get a degree online. Mr. Gulube says, “Through these programs, people advance themselves. We’re enabling them to access information about job creation, opportunities, education, health and business development.”

Furthermore, in 2004 USA donated more than $700,000 to four SMMEs to increase their telecom infrastructure in under-serviced areas. The agency has set aside $7 million in subsidies and grants aimed at giving black economic empowerment enterprises a kick-start to roll out facilities.

Contributions from national telecommunications operators make USA’s programs financially viable; however, the agency also collaborates with other companies. It recently signed an agreement with Microsoft, which is donating software to telecentres, and USA will work with local companies like MTN and Vodacom to create networks nationwide.