# datacloud

- Link: https://dearsouthafrica.co.za/datacloud/
- Published: 2021-04-08T11:20:19+02:00
- Author: dearSA

### REPORT. Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies, Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams, called for public comment on a proposed National Data and Cloud Policy.

According to the policy, the HPCDPC will provide cloud services for state entities,
national departments, provinces, municipalities, metros, SOEs, universities, research
centres, civil society organisations, and businesses registered in South Africa.

SITA will drive the adoption of digital government services.

### ** 18885 **** **participants (closed 11 June 2021)

[click to view a report on the public participation ](https://cdn.dearsouthafrica.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/20190641/DearSA-Data-and-cloud-policy-report-1.pdf)

[click to view videos, details and documents ](https://dearsouthafrica.co.za/datacloud/summary)

[click to download a PDF of the public comments ](https://cdn.dearsouthafrica.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/20190644/datacloud-web.pdf)

[DearSA presentation to the Minister ](https://cdn.dearsouthafrica.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/20190640/DearSA-presentation-Data-and-cloud-policy-2.pdf)

![DearSA-gov-cloud report](https://cdn.dearsouthafrica.co.za/wp-content/uploads/
2021/06/20190641/DearSA-gov-cloud-report.jpg "DearSA-gov-cloud report")

![Dear South Africa](https://cdn.dearsouthafrica.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/
02102235/DearSA-logo-s-100x31.jpg "DearSA-logo-s")

## [CLOSED] Have your say – shape the outcome.

**Error:** Contact form not found.

![Dear South Africa](https://cdn.dearsouthafrica.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/
02102235/DearSA-logo-s-100x31.jpg "DearSA-logo-s")

### SUMMARY

 * The policy proposal also states that a High-Performance Computing and Data Processing
   Centre (HPCDPC) should be established, which will include cloud computing capacity.
 * This HPCDPC will consolidate existing public funded data centres.
 * “The HPCDPC will leverage the existing computing capacity and technical capabilities
   of the CSIR and SITA, and will operate in conformance with international best
   practice,” the draft policy states.
 * “The HPCDPC shall have access to the excess capacity of public funded data centres
   of entities such as Sentech and Broadband Infraco, Eskom and Transnet.”
 * According to the policy, the HPCDPC will provide cloud services for state entities,
   national departments, provinces, municipalities, metros, SOEs, universities, 
   research centres, civil society organisations, and businesses registered in South
   Africa.
 * The connectivity and interconnection of the HPCDPC to all other public data centres
   will be provided by the SDIC.
 * “The HPCDPC shall be replicated with two similar centres to ensure the availability
   of backup and business continuity in instances where the main centre comes under
   cyberattack,” the policy proposal states.

**The draft policy also makes the following additional proposals:**

 * SITA will drive the adoption of digital government services.
 * Digital/ICT Special Economic Zones will be established to support local and foreign
   investment in data and cloud infrastructure and services. Multinational firms
   investing in data centres will be required to make provision for skills and digital
   technology transfer to ensure benefits and gains from foreign direct investment.
 * Data centres may make provision for self-generation energy capabilities to ensure
   uninterrupted and sustainable operations while reducing total dependence on the
   strained national electricity grid.
 * SITA must adopt strategies and interventions such as digital hubs and digital
   transformation centres, supported by open compute and open software to support
   small, medium, and micro enterprises and the digital economy through enabling
   locally developed applications.
 * Investment in data centres and cloud services shall comply with the provisions
   of broad-based black economic empowerment.

### IN THE MEDIA

 * MyBroadband – [South Africa wants to tackle Amazon, Google, Microsoft dominance in cloud computing](https://mybroadband.co.za/news/cloud-hosting/392055-south-africa-wants-to-tackle-amazon-google-microsoft-dominance-in-cloud-computing.html)
 * MyBroadband – [South Africa’s plan to launch state-owned cloud computing mega-network](https://mybroadband.co.za/news/cloud-hosting/392105-south-africas-plan-to-launch-stated-owned-cloud-computing-mega-network.html)

[Browse other campaigns ](https://dearsouthafrica.co.za/pdps/)