Question NW2195 to the Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies
29 August 2023 - NW2195
Mazzone, Ms NW to ask the Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies
With reference to his reply to question 1210 on 19 May 2023 and the costs associated with the upgrade of the Digitech website, (a) what is the name of the company, entity and/or person to whom the contract was awarded to redesign the website, (b) who are the directors and/or members of the entity that was awarded the specified contract, (c) what specifications and/or requirements were required in the design, (d) what is the purpose and function of the new website, (e) what was the justification for the cost of almost R 750 000 for redesigning the website and (f) what are the reasons that an outside service provider was appointed instead of the State Information Technology Agency that designed the original website?
Reply:
I have been advised by the Department as follows:-
(a) No external service provider was awarded the contract, as SITA was tasked by the DCDT to develop the website.
(b) No external service provider was awarded the contract, as SITA was tasked by the DCDT to develop the website.
(c) All requirements for the solution have been included in the User Requirement Specification (URS).
(d) The purpose of DigiTech is to collect data about digital products developed in South Africa with the aim of supporting the products’ technology enablement and promote and expand their adoption and use. Through DigiTech, the Department of Communications and Digital Technologies seeks to promote SA-developed digital products in other markets whilst facilitating partnerships with other countries on the co-promotion of local technologies (source: https://www.digitech.gov.za/en/about)
(e) The development of the website included the following key items:
• Project Management
• Infrastructure Provisioning Requirements and Software Upgrade o Upgrade of the O/S
• Upgrade of Application software
• Commissioning of the beta environment at CFI
• Development (analysis, design, and testing)
• User Requirement Specification
• Conceptual Solution Architecture
•Developing the DigiTech according to the URS
•Updating the Digitech website with the new theme
• Testing o Technical Testing
• UAT and Sign-off
• Implementation o Vulnerability assessment scans
•Deployment
(f) SITA was tasked by the DCDT to develop the website