International Cooperation

Collaboration with Africa (ACP)

EU-South Africa S&T co-operation

An EC Science & Technology Agreement was signed with South Africa in December 1996 and entered into force in November 1997.

FP6 Projects

• IST-Africa is a collaborative initiative between two European partners and government agencies in Mozambique, South Africa and Tanzania responsible for national ICT exploitation. The goal is to have a Regional Impact on the Digital Divide by opening up the ERA.
• START: ICT research cooperation with Africa.

GÉANT and potential connectivity to South Africa

South Africa is encouraging the implementation of a single National Research and Education Network (NREN) in order to connect it to GÉANT.

At the Africa-EU summit in Lisbon, Portugal on 8 and 9 December 2007 leaders from the EU and Africa agreed on a new strategic partnership and a Joint Africa-EU Strategy. The information technology component of this partnership addresses the establishment of an inclusive information society in Africa. To assist this process, the EU will complement investments made in physical infrastructures. The Partnership will also create the right conditions for public-private links, ensure coherence between the two continents and increase the use of information and communication technologies (ICT)applications in Africa. Other activities address human resource development, high speed networks, regulatory frameworks, telemedicine and early warning systems, plus regular dialogue. More information