13TH HIGHWAY AFRICA RAMBLINGS

By Mongezi Mhlongo (BTM Senior Reporter)

This year’s 13th annual Highway Africa conference was what I will like to call a hub of relevant and useful Information Communication Technologies (ICT) gathering.

Topics ranged from agriculture, gender, health amongst others and how ICT plays a pivotal role in each of these sectors.
 
The conference for me instilled the importance of ICT’s in the 21st century and ground breaking new technologies which can advance the journalism profession and African journalists’ role in reporting the upcoming 2010 World Cup and Africa as a whole.

What stood out for me at this conference were the intense and informative, workshops, seminars and panel discussions that seek to unravel relevant and eminent issues regarding the journalism profession.

Themed Reporting Africa-2010, Development and Democracy the 13th annual (HA) conference this year was centered on the upcoming 2010 World Cup which will be taking place on African soil for the first time.

As I reminisce about the 13th annual Highway Africa conference feelings of gratitude and amazement come flushing back and the acceptance of my application being the most poignant of all. Fear and excitement reverberated through my veins as I recall stumbling across the programme prior the conference as I didn’t know what to expect.

After the two day conference it is safe to say that I know a thing or two about ICT and a whole range of issues tabled at the discussions and workshops as I grasped some of what was presented.

What I consider a useful breakthrough Highway Africa 2009 brought for our newsroom is the NIKA CMS, in a nutshell NIKA will allow editorial staff to upload their stories, where they will be subbed and edited and all these processes are recorded on this system making it possible to view all this process.
 
Highway Africa is a partnership between Rhodes University, the Department of Communications and the SABC with the support of several partners, development agencies and sponsors.

Highway Africa was indeed a bumpy yet exciting journey and I can’t wait for the upcoming 2010 offering from HA to further advance my knowledge on a range of pertinent topics.

See you on the 2010 highway…pun intended!