JOBURG is getting wireless by taking advantage of a project initiated by the city council to turn Jozi into Africa’s first "smart city".

A wireless broadband network service will be introduced in "wireless precincts" to improve business efficiency — and make money for the city.

David van Niekerk, programme manager for the Joburg 2030 project, said it would be piloted in Sandton next year before being introduced in the rest of the city.

Broadband was introduced in South Africa in 2002. There are already a number of service providers, including Telkom. The technology allows for faster and easier access to services such as the Internet and video conferencing.

Van Niekerk said the project’s main aim was to increase competition in the private sector, which would have positive spin-offs for the city.

"If you have wireless broadband connectivity you can do business quicker and your profit margins will increase. If firms make more profit they will pay existing employees better, will employ more people and eventually invest more in the city," he said, adding that this was an alternative to raising taxes and rates.

He said the project was still in the beginning stages, but that research into businesses’ requirements had begun in Sandton. The next step was to find an international model to base the system on. If there wasn’t one, Van Niekerk said, the project would "start from scratch".

The city has so far set aside R1-million for the project. More funding would have to come from the private sector, he said.

A CCTV system will be linked to the network to assist in security monitoring, market research and traffic management. Having such a system linked to a lightning-speed wireless broadband network would make "possibilities limitless", said Van Niekerk.

Cara Reilly, spokesman for the Sandton Improvement District, said the traffic management and security elements were positive spin-offs which would help to create an "enterprising global hub".

Winston Smith, portfolio manager for MyWireless with parastatal multimedia service provider Sentech, said the system would increase productivity and change the way people conducted business.

"The most important thing is that wireless broadband will take the service to the user rather than the user to the service," he said. "You don’t limit the business to having to be in the office — they could be literally anywhere."

Spiro Ragavelas, owner of Spiro’s in Melville, invested R35 000 in installing the technology in his restaurant. "I made my money back in the first six months. People just love it," he said.