JOHANNESBURG, THE South African Central Registry (ZACR) is marking the 28th birthday of the internet in the country on Tuesday.

It was on November 12, 1991 that the first local internet protocol (IP) connection was made.

Three years earlier, Mike Lawrie led the Rhodes University team that established the first South African internet networking system.

With over 10 000 days of Internet excellence under its belt, South Africa stands ready to take full advantage of the opportunities offered by the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR), said Lucky Masilela, Chief Executive Officer of ZACR.

Mike Lawrie and his colleagues have provided SA with a phenomenal foundation that we now have the responsibility of fine-tuning for 2020 and beyond, Masilela added.

Masilela disclosed the non-profit ZACR administers some 1,25m domain names within the .ZA namespace, which include SA’s flagship CO.ZA domain.

Without the dedication of SA’s early Internet pioneers, millions of South Africans would today not have access to the quality of life-boosting worldwide web, he said.

This global web of information which oils the wheels of the 4IR enables so many of us to earn incomes, pursue educational and entertainment opportunities, and connect with each other.

ZACR is rated as Africa’s best performing registry operator.

Source: CAJ News Agency