Johannesburg — Besides the imminent launch of two digital villages in the Cape area, Microsoft South Africa has also been in a position to use some of the funds received from damages awarded to them in its ongoing fight against software piracy to assist with the opening of the Umtata SOS digital village at the Umtata SOS children's village.

Microsoft southern Africa MD Mark Hill said in a statement: "Funds generated from Microsoft SA's anti-piracy drive are continuing to have a positive impact on the community."

Hill added that the remainder of the funds came from the company's corporate "social responsibility" coffers.

"The main focus of these digital villages is to provide computer skills to previously disadvantaged individuals in an endeavour to assist them in finding gainful employment in the IT, or other business sectors, in SA.

"Software piracy is a major problem in this country and it makes an indelible impact on the economy. In the 1999 calendar year, for instance, a total of 14 770 jobs were lost as a result of this scourge.

"While Microsoft is sometimes seen to be clamping down hard on software piracy, it is rewarding to see when funds generated from our piracy pursuits are actually assisting with the upliftment of needy communities. In a small part, this serves to balance the scales that are so severely upset by negative business activities, including software piracy."

The digital village at the Umtata SOS children's village is part of a network of five digital villages at SOS children's villages across SA. Another five digital villages have been established in community centres around SA, including Soweto, Orlando East, Kimberley, Paarl and the Cape Flats.

The first digital village was established in Chiawelo, Soweto in 1997 by Bill Gates. The SOS children's village in Umtata is home to 150 children.