The Minister of Telecommunications and Postal Services, Dr. Siyabonga Cwele to host Ambassador Bishar Hussein, The Director-General of the Universal Postal Union to discuss the development of E-Commerce Platform through post offices
The Minister of Telecommunications and Postal Services Dr Siyabonga Cwele is scheduled to host Ambassador Bishar Hussein, the Director-General of the Universal Postal Union (UPU) in Pretoria on 28 November 2016.
Ambassador Hussein is visiting South Africa shortly after the conclusion of the 26th Universal Postal Union (UPU) Congress, which took place from 20 September to 7 October 2016 in Istanbul, Turkey, where he was re-elected Director-General of UPU for the period 2017-2020.
At the same congress, South Africa was also elected for the second term a member of the UPU Council of Administration, the decision making body of the UPU in between congresses. South Africa has been assigned the responsibility of chairing the new Committee dealing with Strategy over the next four years in the Council of Administration.
The visit by Ambassador Hussein aims to unpack the key priority programmes between 2017-2020 including developing an e-Commerce platform through post offices. At the recent Africa seminar that was held at the International Bureau, the UPU Secretariat, South Africa was identified as as one of the pilot countries on the continent for developing e-commerce project during the 2017-2020.
The visit aims to explore how South Africa can be a regional hub for e-commerce.
The UPU has identified e-commerce as key to the survival of post offices as mail volumes continue to decline. This view is supported by the African Union and was endorsed in 2015 by African Ministers responsible for postal services. The continent views post offices as key institutions to deliver letters and parcels and, most importantly, foster financial inclusion, especially of those in rural areas.
Last year, Cabinet approved the turnaround strategy of the SA Post Office (SAPO), charging SAPO to look at revenue diversification and profitable revenue growth from diversified customer base and product mix. e-Commerce is one key element of the SAPO corporate plan.
Minister Cwele will be supported at the meeting by the Department’s delegation that will be led by the new Director General, Mr Robert Nkuna and a SAPO delegation to be led by the Board Chairperson Dr Simo Lushaba.
Ambassador Hussein will also visit the SAPO Head Office, the Johannesburg International Mail Centre and Durmail and the Dube Tradeport in Durban.
Source: Government of South Africa