The Department of Communications and Digital Technologies (DCDT) will embark on the task of improving the digital literacy skills of 30 000 public service employees.
So said DCDT deputy minister Mondli Gungubele, during the presentation of the department’s budget vote in Parliament.
The pronouncement comes amid heightened debate about civil servants’ technology skills, with concerns that public officials lack the knowhow to take advantage of new breakthroughs.
The future of work also requires a public sector that has the appropriate skills and competencies to deal with the benefits and challenges that technology brings.
In addition, Yoliswa Makhasi, former director-general at the Department of Public Service and Administration (DPSA), previously stated there is a severe shortage of ICT capacity (warm bodies) and skills (ICT specialists) across the public service departments.
During his address, Gungubele indicated the acceleration of digital transformation across SA’s public and private sectors continues to bring “unprecedented opportunities and increasing levels of cyber risks”.
He added that digital connectivity, affordable gadgets and lower data costs alone will not result in the desired outcomes of universal, meaningful connectivity, if they are not backed up by the requisite digital skills.
Resultantly, the DCDT plans to focus on training 30 000 government employees in digital literacy, cyber security awareness and artificial intelligence (AI) fluency in the 2025/26 financial year, said the deputy minister.
“This will be done through strategic partnerships between the department, NEMISA [National Electronic Media Institute of South Africa], the National School of Government, DPSA [Department of Public Service and Administration] and industry players like Microsoft, AWS and Google.”
South Africa’s public service accounts for 1.3 million of the country’s labour force.
Gungubele did not specify which government employees the DCDT will be targeting first as part of the training efforts.
Universal connectivity
Portfolio Committee on Communications and Digital Technologies chairperson Khusela Sangoni-Diko urged the department to provide clarity on spectrum policy, expand broadband access and roll out fibre networks to achieve universal connectivity for inclusive economic transformation.
“The digital economy must be a key pillar of inclusive growth. We need targeted investment in digital start-ups and a thriving start-up ecosystem, funding for local innovation hubs and policies to ensure our people are not just consumers, but creators of technology,” said Sangoni-Diko.
The chairperson was commenting on the back of the department’s tabled budget for the financial year, which sets aside R710 million for the SA Connect programme over the medium-term expenditure framework (MTEF).
According to a statement, the allocation to SA Connect is in line with the portfolio committee’s vision where every South African, regardless of geographical location or socio-economic status, has access to the tools, infrastructure and opportunities needed to thrive in the digital age.
ITWeb reported in March that the DCDT will continue to deploy the SA Connect project in underserviced areas, supported by relevant state-owned entities, such as Broadband Infraco, Sentech and SITA.
At the time, it was projected that an amount of R709.8 million will be allocated for the continued connectivity of SA Connect over the MTEF period.
In the making since 2013, SA Connect is the national broadband project identified by government to ensure universal access to broadband services for all South Africans, prioritising rural and underserviced areas.
It is aimed at addressing the country’s vision in the National Development Plan of “a seamless information infrastructure by 2030 that will underpin a dynamic and connected vibrant information society and a knowledge economy that is more inclusive, equitable and prosperous”.
Due to the magnitude of the project, the state determined that it should be implemented in two stages.
In phase one, it aimed to connect schools, health facilities, government offices, Thusong Service Centres and post offices, in eight rural district municipalities, to broadband services. During this phase, about 970 government facilities have been connected to broadband.
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