12 November marks the 25th birthday of the Internet in South Africa, said the ZACR.

“The year 1988 saw Mike Lawrie lead the Rhodes University team that established the very first South African Internet networking system. The following year saw Rhodes use email for the first time,” said the ZACR.

On 12 November 1991, the first IP connection was made between Rhodes’ computing centre and the home of Randy Bush in Portland, Oregon.

“There have been many builders of the Internet in South Africa and it would be impossible to name each worthy individual.”

“However, all of these builders would no doubt agree that there was only one founding architect of the web in South Africa.”

“It is for this reason that we congratulate Mr Lawrie on the occasion of this landmark year for the local web and on his Lifetime Achievement Award recently bestowed upon him at the SACF ICT Achievers Awards.”

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