Microsoft TechEd, Durban – The City of Tshwane, which has committed to becoming a smart city, has partnered with Microsoft on its Out of Office roadshows to rally support and input for its Tshwane 2055 vision. 
The city has already deployed almost 500km of fibre optic cable, which has saved significant amounts over the last three years in connecting city-owned networking and using its own networks rather than outsourced communications.
Broadband will form the backbone for most of the upcoming smart city initiatives, with priority on those parts of the city that are still rural in nature.
The City of Tshwane used the platform of TechEd to promote the second phase of the Tshwane 2055 strategic engagement process.
The Tshwane 2055 vision is about enabling long-term change in the city, with stakeholders encouraged to add their voice to how they would like to see the city in 2055.
Part of the campaign is to mobilise all South African citizens to think about Tshwane, which is the capital city of the country.
It will do this by joining Microsoft on its Out of Office roadshows to 26 towns and cities around South Africa.
Tshwane is the largest metropolitan area in South Africa and the third largest in the world.