This has been a tremendously busy and exciting year for everyone at the CEI, as we've consolidated our organisation, rolled out new services and continued to maintain the complex systems and networks that keep the PGWC connected. We're very pleased and proud that we've also continued to receive awards and accolades for our work, both at home and abroad.

We're particularly honoured that Cape Gateway received a Special Mention at this year's World Summit Awards, being named as the best e-government project in Africa. The World Summit Awards is a global contest for selecting and promoting the world's best e-contents and applications, and there were over 750 nominations in eight categories, so this is a real achievement. (Read more about our visit to the World Summit in the next section).

Cape Gateway was also recognised by South Africa's own Centre for Public Service Innovation, being named joint runner-up in the category "Innovative Enhancements on Internal Systems within Government".

A number of individuals within the CEI also received awards:

• Our Head, Dr Harold Wesso, was named runner-up IT Personality of the Year.
• Kobus van Wyk of the Khanya Project won the ICT Social Responsibility Award.
• Petro van Rhyn was recognised twice at the Government Communicators' Awards: Once as the winner of the Ubungcweti Award for excellence in writing, editing, layout and design at the provincial government level, and once as runner-up at local/provincial level for the Bua Award for communicators who display courage, commitment, dedication and discipline in their work.

None of these awards would have been possible without the hard work and support of the entire CEI team, so we'd like to salute and thank everyone for their role.