The it@ab network initiative connects African ICT-related businesses, training institutions and universities, and supports them in providing state-of-the-art ICT training and eBusiness consulting for the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region.

The it-ab Network Website provides comprehensive information about the it@ab activities and latest news by the network. Below follows a summary of it@inwent's involvement.

it@ab Concept and Members

it@inwent helped form the it@ab network in 2001 together with local ICT businesses and educational institutions in the Southern African countries: Angola, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania, and Zambia. At the point of network formation, the it@ab members were already established organizations providing ICT-related services in their diverse contexts, through business consultancies, academic education, private training, software development, or as Internet Service Providers (ISP).

By supporting a network of multiplying ICT experts, it@inwent aims to foster sound eBusiness and ICT solutions for many more enterprises and organizations in the Southern African region, and to promote overall business and public sector development.

it@ab now comprises about 30 African companies and institutions that form a network of excellence in ICT training and services. Its members power local ICT-enabled business development, serve as multipliers for innovation, and cooperate regionally and globally.

it@inwent's Activities in the it@ab Network

it@inwent supports the it@ab network through the organization of long and short-term trainings such as an extensive 12-month advanced training program as well as experience sharing and networking events.

The trainings organized by it@inwent enhance the it@ab members' qualifications in areas such as eBusiness and new ICT solutions (especially in the field of free and open source software), to strengthen their work as consultants and trainers for Southern African small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) and governmental and educational institutions.

• Since 2001, InWEnt has each offered an extensive 12-months advanced training program on “business related IT consultancy” for junior African IT specialists. Over 60 network members have participated over the past four years. [> Detailed course description]
• Several short-term workshops and seminars have focused on specific ICT business aspects, e.g. how to develop consulting products based on eLearning, or eCommerce, and eMarketing.
• Jointly, the it@ab members together with it@inwent have developed consulting products, eLearning materials and local content related to eBusiness development. [> Products]

it@inwent stimulates and facilitates knowledge exchanges among the it@ab network members, both online and on-site. The members share best practices, debate challenges, and learn from ICT solutions created in fellow countries of the SADC region. At the international level, it@ab offers business contacts and cooperation opportunities with international institutions and businesses.

Organizational Overview

The period of InWEnt support to the it@ab network is from 2001 to 2006. it@ab is registered as a non-governmental organization in SADC. The it@ab secretariat is located in Namibia and serves all of SADC countries. it@ab Ltd. is the it@ab commercial branch, which is headquartered in Tanzania.

The it@ab network Namibia received funding from the infoDev incubator initiative, with which they created a plan to establish an ICT business incubator in 2005.