INDUSTRY WATCH
//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
Biggest tech hub being
developed in Africa
T
he South African Government is
aiming to improve the technological
revolution in the continent by
developing the biggest tech hub in Africa.
A coding and programming academy, as
well as co-working and co-creation spaces for
youths and start-ups are also on the agenda.
“Through the Small Enterprise Development
Agency (seda), my department, in
partnership with the Department of
Telecommunication and Postal Services, has
started a conversation to develop the biggest
Tech Hub in Africa,” said Lindiwe Zulu,
Minister of Small Business Development,
who was addressing an engagement session
with the creative industry in Johannesburg
under the theme ‘Leveraging on digital
platforms for 4IR creatives’.
The session was led by Communications
Minister Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams and
Deputy Minister Pinky Kekana and focused on
broadcasting, audio-visual and new platforms,
and the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR).
Zulu said the technological revolution must
improve and advance the lives of South
Africans. “It also becomes important that
Small, Medium and Micro Enterprises
(SMMEs) and Cooperatives embrace
this radical reshaping of the relationship
between technology capabilities and
business opportunities,” she said.
“Incubators must focus on creating a new
generation of South African start-ups
that will drive the creation of disruptive
technologies in the creatives industry.”
The Minister said South Africa is well
placed to benefit from the potential of
the Information and Communications
technology (ICT) sector in the future.
She said the size of South Africa’s gross
domestic product (GDP), its levels of per capita
66
INTELLIGENTCIO
income and productivity gave it an advantage
to lead in the ICT sector on the continent.
In addition, the increasing contributions
from South African firms to producing for
the continent and world value chain of
manufactured goods, as well as the above-
average level of innovation infrastructure in
which business, government and research
interact, are putting South Africa in a
favourable position to lead this space in Africa.
“If South Africa wants to build on its existing
strengths, it must not wait longer with
making meaningful, and sometime bold,
changes,” said Zulu.
“It must overcome its current complacency,
political complexity, and inertia to act.
“South African initiatives are likely to
be successful only if they happen in an
integrated manner and, importantly, create
more scale and scope for growth across
Africa and create the conditions that allow
a greater role for consumers and businesses
to drive the impact of new technologies
through their effective use.”
Presidential commission on the
Fourth Industrial Revolution
In his State of the Nation Address,
President Cyril Ramaphosa announced the
appointment of a Presidential Commission
on the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
The commission will serve as a national
overarching advisory mechanism on
Digital Transformation. It will identify
and recommend policies, strategies and
plans that will position South Africa as a
global competitive player within the digital
revolution space.
Ndabeni-Abrahams has urged the creative
sector to work with government in
developing policies for 4IR.
“Please walk this path with us as we
develop policies for 4IR so that we are able
to move from an informed point of view,”
he said.
“Through the Fourth Industrial Revolution
Commission, we are establishing work streams.
“Once the induction has been done
by the President, we will be able to
invite more participants to look at the
matter holistically.”
Future of work
Dr Brian Armstrong, a pre-eminent thought
leader on digitalisation and business strategy
and Professor of Digital Business at the Wits
Business School, emphasised the importance
for South Africa remaining competitive in the
global economy as it moves to the Fourth
Industrial Revolution.
“We need to understand the impact on
the future of work and what it means for
employment, new modes of employment
and new ways of engaging between
employers and employees.
“It is critical that we focus on the
opportunities and understand the critical
success factors,” Armstrong said.
He said the future work for creative roles are
less vulnerable to technological disruptions
and automation.
“Computers struggle to do three things at
the moment and will continue to do that.
These include roles that are iron created
intensity, creative intelligence, roles that are
high relations intelligence and roles that are
high in construction dexterity.
“The more technological the world becomes,
the more important it is to focus on our
humanity to differentiate ourselves from the
machines and retain value.” n
www.intelligentcio.com