  The Information and Communication sector has undoubtedly played a pivotal
role in changing the way people live nowadays. Almost every area of our lives
is affected by the presence and the use of the new information and
communication technologies. In this regard, many researchers' attention has
been attracted by the influence or the significant impact of these technologies
on economic growth and development. Although the history of South Africa has
had some drawbacks that could constitute a big obstacle to the emergence of a
successful economic environment, the actual status of the country regarding its
economy and the role that it plays in Africa towards the rest of the African
countries is a vital example of an emerging economic force in Africa. This
paper examines the crucial role that ICT has played and is still playing in the
South African economy growth and more specifically the significance of the
economic effects of the software industry. It makes use of the framework used
by Heavin et al. (2003) to investigate the Irish software industry in order to
analyze the impact of endogenous factors -- national, enterprise and individual
-- on the software industry and its implication on the economic growth in South
Africa.
