INTELLIGENT BRANDS // Software for Business
Microsoft commits R1.3 billion to South Africa to spur digital skills and job creation
Microsoft South Africa is deepening its commitment to the country and job creation to spur SMME development , create local opportunities , growth , and ready the country for AI transformation . The company will invest more than R1.3 billion to unlock inclusive growth , contribute to building a digital economy , foster entrepreneurship , and innovation , and fuel the job creation engine . It will enable SMMEs to be engines of growth and expand local industry for South Africa .
The digital revolution requires people with enhanced fluency in cloud , security , data analysis , AI , and machine learning . Through this investment , Microsoft is equipping present and future workers with the advanced skills needed to enable them to harness the potential of rapidly developing technologies . At the same time , this investment provides opportunities to spur entrepreneurship , especially amongst women and other previously disadvantaged individuals .
The programmes are designed to build ICT capability in SMMEs and youth so that South Africans can create new ways to address youth unemployment , employability , inequality , sustainability , and global competitiveness in the areas of Data Analytics , Cybersecurity , AI , Machine Learning amongst others . to solve some of South Africa ’ s most pressing challenges , while also unlocking opportunities to fuel inclusive , sustainable economic growth .”
Initiatives
• Digital transformation of up to 42 SMMEs and startups , including access to markets to drive growth and become nett job creators .
• Alignment with 18 TVET colleges to use technology to create better learning experiences for students , prepare them with future-ready skills and enhance employability .
• Equipping 200 SMMEs and over 2,000 individuals with advanced AI and other capabilities to narrow the current skills gaps and prepare for jobs of the future .
• Supporting up to 20 advanced research and development projects to address the current and future policy needs of the country in cyber security and AI .
“ Consistent with our mission to empower every person and every organisation on the planet to achieve more , this investment represents our commitment to empowering individuals and small businesses to be part of Africa ’ s digital economy , and to drive job creation and growth that will benefit the entire region ,” said Lillian Barnard , President for Microsoft Africa .
In striving to be a catalyst for a digitally inclusive and technologically proficient South Africa , Microsoft recognises the need to partner with government to create a positive change in the structure of the economy .
“ The fund will assist black South Africans in non-tech sectors to harness the power of technology and improve their competitiveness and ability to innovate and expand their operations . It will also function as a bridge to enable young people to get training , certification , and jobplacement , so that talented South Africans gain access to the opportunities that arise from an increasingly digitalised world ,” said Ebrahim Patel , Minister of Trade , Industry and Competition . p
The SMME development programme focuses not only on technical skills , for those organisations in the ICT sector , but entrepreneurial capabilities which will create sustainable businesses in South Africa , and also enable them to become engines for job creation .
Commenting on the scale of the investment , Barnard said , “ Transformative technologies , such as cloud and AI , have the potential
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