1 00:00:00,760 --> 00:00:02,960 Speaker 1: No money show take Thursday. 2 00:00:04,080 --> 00:00:06,560 Speaker 2: The Department of Trade, Industry and Competition. They're looking at 3 00:00:06,600 --> 00:00:09,200 Speaker 2: plans to build a smart river along the Vowel River, 4 00:00:09,560 --> 00:00:14,080 Speaker 2: and governments used the phrase smart city for years. A 5 00:00:14,160 --> 00:00:17,079 Speaker 2: couple of five six years ago the President mentioned a 6 00:00:17,120 --> 00:00:19,200 Speaker 2: smart city. It wasn't going to be at the Valve, 7 00:00:19,200 --> 00:00:22,560 Speaker 2: then it was going to be in Landseria. Supermalella zomdies 8 00:00:22,560 --> 00:00:25,680 Speaker 2: a tech expert. Super Malela, Good evening. I mean, I've 9 00:00:25,680 --> 00:00:28,159 Speaker 2: often wondered this question, what is a smart city? I 10 00:00:28,160 --> 00:00:29,840 Speaker 2: mean I can tell you what an un smart city 11 00:00:29,880 --> 00:00:30,240 Speaker 2: looks like. 12 00:00:32,440 --> 00:00:35,720 Speaker 1: Hello, Stephen. So as much as it's basically a modern 13 00:00:35,720 --> 00:00:41,319 Speaker 1: city that uses technology to pretty much do everything for 14 00:00:41,440 --> 00:00:46,440 Speaker 1: its citizens, its technology infrastructure, its states are driven and 15 00:00:46,520 --> 00:00:49,120 Speaker 1: smart mobility as well. Think about public transports. It probably 16 00:00:49,280 --> 00:00:51,239 Speaker 1: if you travel to other parts of the world, have 17 00:00:52,400 --> 00:00:55,520 Speaker 1: used maybe your mobile phone, your mobile devices, or you 18 00:00:55,640 --> 00:00:58,760 Speaker 1: need to catch public transports in those cities, and you 19 00:00:58,840 --> 00:01:01,040 Speaker 1: don't actually need to pay cash. You don't I need 20 00:01:01,120 --> 00:01:04,200 Speaker 1: at that card to public transport. So that's what's a 21 00:01:04,200 --> 00:01:07,720 Speaker 1: smart city is basically a city that uses machines that 22 00:01:07,760 --> 00:01:11,520 Speaker 1: are connected to communicate with each other in order for 23 00:01:11,520 --> 00:01:16,400 Speaker 1: it to provide services in an easier way for its serience. 24 00:01:16,959 --> 00:01:19,240 Speaker 2: Okay, So I mean, can't you take a city and 25 00:01:19,640 --> 00:01:22,039 Speaker 2: then do something to it and call that a smart city. 26 00:01:22,160 --> 00:01:25,040 Speaker 2: Some of the infrastructures already there. Wouldn't that be better 27 00:01:25,080 --> 00:01:26,840 Speaker 2: than creating something from scratch? 28 00:01:27,560 --> 00:01:31,200 Speaker 1: Oh, you totally can. You can think about, for example, Singapore. 29 00:01:31,440 --> 00:01:34,560 Speaker 1: You can think about some of those cities in European 30 00:01:34,600 --> 00:01:37,440 Speaker 1: countries if you travel to them, where you find that 31 00:01:37,480 --> 00:01:42,320 Speaker 1: you do most things. There's technology that communicates to the municipality. 32 00:01:42,720 --> 00:01:47,880 Speaker 1: There's technology that you use in public transportation. There are 33 00:01:47,880 --> 00:01:50,919 Speaker 1: smart homes even in those in some of those countries, 34 00:01:50,960 --> 00:01:53,040 Speaker 1: and some of those buildings are actually quite ancient when 35 00:01:53,040 --> 00:01:55,960 Speaker 1: you think about how old some of those European cities are, 36 00:01:56,000 --> 00:01:59,600 Speaker 1: but they have been converted. Infrastructure has been laid down 37 00:01:59,640 --> 00:02:02,680 Speaker 1: in order for them to be converted into smart cities. 38 00:02:02,920 --> 00:02:05,720 Speaker 1: Aspects for example of let's say London or New York 39 00:02:05,840 --> 00:02:09,240 Speaker 1: are actually smart and they do operate s smart cities 40 00:02:09,320 --> 00:02:10,760 Speaker 1: in parts of those cities. 41 00:02:11,280 --> 00:02:13,080 Speaker 2: So I mean all of this is supposed to be 42 00:02:13,120 --> 00:02:17,320 Speaker 2: part of a special economic zone called the vow aerotropolis. 43 00:02:17,320 --> 00:02:19,800 Speaker 2: So this is sort of around the airport. It would 44 00:02:19,800 --> 00:02:23,360 Speaker 2: also be the do bet Trade Port near the airport 45 00:02:23,400 --> 00:02:26,920 Speaker 2: in Durban. These are supposed to be special economic zones. 46 00:02:27,680 --> 00:02:30,000 Speaker 2: Are they successful? I mean, I think most people look 47 00:02:30,000 --> 00:02:32,280 Speaker 2: at them in terms of tax more than anything else. 48 00:02:33,960 --> 00:02:36,639 Speaker 1: It's interesting that you use the Duber trade ports as 49 00:02:36,639 --> 00:02:39,919 Speaker 1: an example, right, because the Duber trade porters around the 50 00:02:39,960 --> 00:02:44,720 Speaker 1: airport in Durban. But then you think about the occupancy 51 00:02:44,720 --> 00:02:48,280 Speaker 1: and where it is, and that's actually the important thing 52 00:02:48,280 --> 00:02:50,440 Speaker 1: about especially this is a vow one that they want 53 00:02:50,520 --> 00:02:53,240 Speaker 1: to create the new aerotropolis, which means there will be 54 00:02:53,320 --> 00:02:56,080 Speaker 1: an airport there. Do you rightfully say if they're calling 55 00:02:56,120 --> 00:03:00,440 Speaker 1: it an aerotropolist, this new smart city. But at the 56 00:03:00,440 --> 00:03:03,440 Speaker 1: same time, what incentive is there for people to move 57 00:03:03,480 --> 00:03:06,600 Speaker 1: to the area, for businesses to move to the area 58 00:03:07,000 --> 00:03:10,720 Speaker 1: they do Betradeport, for example, we know had a Myra 59 00:03:10,840 --> 00:03:15,720 Speaker 1: Phones which was a mobile phone manufacturing plant, but that 60 00:03:15,880 --> 00:03:19,560 Speaker 1: since went under. And sometimes are about occupants it because 61 00:03:19,560 --> 00:03:23,080 Speaker 1: it's also quite important. These locations of this ertropolis are 62 00:03:23,160 --> 00:03:26,760 Speaker 1: quite important in terms of how feasible there are in 63 00:03:26,840 --> 00:03:29,760 Speaker 1: terms of people commuting to work from them. Are the 64 00:03:29,919 --> 00:03:33,600 Speaker 1: industries that are going to be there? Are they really 65 00:03:33,639 --> 00:03:37,520 Speaker 1: going to be places of life? Do better reports? I'm 66 00:03:37,520 --> 00:03:41,360 Speaker 1: not sure if it's worked so well down in differdence. 67 00:03:41,080 --> 00:03:43,320 Speaker 2: Yeah, I know. I mean, and I suppose this gets 68 00:03:43,360 --> 00:03:45,960 Speaker 2: to the definition of what is a smart city, because 69 00:03:46,000 --> 00:03:49,560 Speaker 2: you could argue that different cities are sort of this 70 00:03:49,680 --> 00:03:52,400 Speaker 2: part of it is smart, this part of it isn't smart. 71 00:03:53,000 --> 00:03:56,840 Speaker 2: Are they sort of good examples of something a place 72 00:03:56,920 --> 00:03:59,040 Speaker 2: we can point to and say that, now that's a 73 00:03:59,080 --> 00:04:00,160 Speaker 2: smart city. 74 00:04:01,360 --> 00:04:05,520 Speaker 1: I think about solutions, and I sometimes worry that there 75 00:04:05,560 --> 00:04:08,600 Speaker 1: isn't a funnow up there. For example, there could have 76 00:04:08,640 --> 00:04:10,960 Speaker 1: been I think about a solution which was a smart 77 00:04:11,000 --> 00:04:13,840 Speaker 1: room that could have been used for municipil workers in Durban, 78 00:04:13,920 --> 00:04:16,680 Speaker 1: something that's won in the IoT Awards a couple of 79 00:04:16,760 --> 00:04:20,120 Speaker 1: years ago, founded by a young man who was whose 80 00:04:20,160 --> 00:04:22,960 Speaker 1: name was Pat. I'm not sure why that never that 81 00:04:23,120 --> 00:04:25,000 Speaker 1: was never picked up, because that could have been great 82 00:04:25,040 --> 00:04:28,240 Speaker 1: in terms of like a ministyle worker uses this room 83 00:04:28,279 --> 00:04:31,599 Speaker 1: and then when they find a fault that needs to 84 00:04:31,600 --> 00:04:34,800 Speaker 1: be fixed quickly, they then press a button. The button 85 00:04:34,839 --> 00:04:37,760 Speaker 1: communicated some sort of command center to say there's a 86 00:04:37,800 --> 00:04:40,719 Speaker 1: problem here. And that is a solution that a smart 87 00:04:40,760 --> 00:04:45,120 Speaker 1: city would would actually need. And a lot of those 88 00:04:45,160 --> 00:04:47,280 Speaker 1: Asian cities that have been built right now, I think 89 00:04:47,279 --> 00:04:51,120 Speaker 1: about shan Zen, for example, in China, where a lot 90 00:04:51,200 --> 00:04:54,720 Speaker 1: of things are technologically advanced, and they're even moving beyond 91 00:04:54,760 --> 00:04:58,320 Speaker 1: what we are thinking about, like connected homes and connected building. 92 00:04:58,440 --> 00:05:01,440 Speaker 1: They're even introducing, for a ab or robots that are 93 00:05:01,480 --> 00:05:04,760 Speaker 1: doing certain things in certain parts of those smart cities 94 00:05:04,760 --> 00:05:07,920 Speaker 1: that are being built in Asia, in those parts of 95 00:05:07,960 --> 00:05:09,600 Speaker 1: that far East Asia, for example. 96 00:05:10,160 --> 00:05:12,800 Speaker 2: So I mean, as you say, we've talked about this 97 00:05:12,839 --> 00:05:17,080 Speaker 2: in the past. We've talked about you know, fast rail 98 00:05:17,279 --> 00:05:19,640 Speaker 2: trains in the past as well, that would move at 99 00:05:19,680 --> 00:05:22,760 Speaker 2: hundreds of kilometers an hour. Why is the smart city 100 00:05:22,839 --> 00:05:25,679 Speaker 2: thing never really worked in South Africa? Not yet anyway. 101 00:05:26,720 --> 00:05:29,800 Speaker 1: Well, that's the thing. You wonder why, because it's all 102 00:05:29,920 --> 00:05:34,360 Speaker 1: the conversation that doesn't say, oh, think about the one 103 00:05:34,360 --> 00:05:37,320 Speaker 1: you mentioned Alia, the then Syria smart cities that's also 104 00:05:37,440 --> 00:05:39,720 Speaker 1: have been built around in airports because I suppose it's 105 00:05:39,760 --> 00:05:42,680 Speaker 1: ease of travel and ease of moving cargo around when 106 00:05:42,760 --> 00:05:46,320 Speaker 1: cargo needs to leave and arrive in the country. But 107 00:05:47,120 --> 00:05:50,760 Speaker 1: I don't even know if ground was ever broken to 108 00:05:51,120 --> 00:05:57,839 Speaker 1: start building. So I wonder if it's not putting starting 109 00:05:57,839 --> 00:06:01,440 Speaker 1: the conversation before anything has actually ever been done, because 110 00:06:01,560 --> 00:06:05,400 Speaker 1: you think that maybe working is to start happening before 111 00:06:05,440 --> 00:06:08,200 Speaker 1: you say that place will be a smart city. And then, 112 00:06:08,240 --> 00:06:10,880 Speaker 1: as you said, six years later, we're discussing a small 113 00:06:10,920 --> 00:06:13,919 Speaker 1: city that was announced in twenty twenty later announced in 114 00:06:13,960 --> 00:06:17,320 Speaker 1: twenty twenty one. It hasn't happened. But now we're announcing 115 00:06:17,520 --> 00:06:19,760 Speaker 1: a brand new smart city in a different part of 116 00:06:19,880 --> 00:06:20,919 Speaker 1: cowd as well. 117 00:06:21,520 --> 00:06:23,200 Speaker 2: Are we going to see a lot more projects like this? 118 00:06:23,360 --> 00:06:24,960 Speaker 2: Do you think, supermel La. I mean we're going to 119 00:06:24,960 --> 00:06:27,760 Speaker 2: see a lot more things like this, announcements like this, 120 00:06:28,560 --> 00:06:30,680 Speaker 2: maybe some some actual projects like this. 121 00:06:32,120 --> 00:06:34,280 Speaker 1: I think we will because there's Atlantas down in the 122 00:06:34,320 --> 00:06:36,320 Speaker 1: Western cap which was meant to be this which was 123 00:06:36,360 --> 00:06:38,640 Speaker 1: meant to be one of those special economic zones that 124 00:06:38,680 --> 00:06:42,440 Speaker 1: would have some smartness in it. You mentioned one in Durban, 125 00:06:43,440 --> 00:06:47,120 Speaker 1: and they now have been two, one announced five years ago, 126 00:06:47,160 --> 00:06:50,560 Speaker 1: one announced now. So the plan is definitely there that 127 00:06:50,760 --> 00:06:53,640 Speaker 1: there need to be more of these special economic zones 128 00:06:53,640 --> 00:06:57,520 Speaker 1: that are smart cities or have elements of being smart cities, 129 00:06:58,240 --> 00:07:02,240 Speaker 1: and hopefully now we will start to receive them, even 130 00:07:02,320 --> 00:07:04,599 Speaker 1: the ones that have been built, because there are ones 131 00:07:04,640 --> 00:07:08,279 Speaker 1: that already exist, these special economic zones, but they are 132 00:07:08,839 --> 00:07:14,200 Speaker 1: not yet at least doing what I've been and announced 133 00:07:14,240 --> 00:07:16,840 Speaker 1: they would be, so there will be more. I believe 134 00:07:16,920 --> 00:07:19,520 Speaker 1: that there will be more, but it's the work that 135 00:07:19,640 --> 00:07:21,560 Speaker 1: needs to happen for them to be smart cities. And 136 00:07:21,600 --> 00:07:25,480 Speaker 1: we hope that even existing cities lactualhancement can have elements 137 00:07:25,480 --> 00:07:29,880 Speaker 1: of smartness in them to convert them into futuristic smart cities. 138 00:07:30,080 --> 00:07:34,200 Speaker 2: Super Malaya, Thanks so much. Supermela Zondie is our tech expert.