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SA’s 4IR roadmap gets Cabinet nod

Simnikiwe Mzekandaba
By Simnikiwe Mzekandaba, IT in government editor
Johannesburg, 25 Sept 2020
President Cyril Ramaphosa.
President Cyril Ramaphosa.

South Africa’s Cabinet has approved the publication of the report of the Presidential Commission on the fourth industrial revolution (4IR) in the Government Gazette.

This after the presidential commission presented the report, which makes recommendations for SA’s 4IR roadmap, to president Cyril Ramaphosa, last month.

The report was presented by communications and digital technologies minister Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams and deputy chairperson of the commission professor Tshilidzi Marwala. Ramaphosa serves as chairperson of the commission.

In a statement, Cabinet notes the report makes proposals to reinvigorate the country’s industrialisation aspirations, and improve global and continental economic competiveness to enhance inclusive growth.

Furthermore, the key drivers of the presidential commission 4IR strategy include economic competiveness, responding to service delivery challenges, human capacity investment and responding to COVID-19.

“This gives effect to the 2018 State of the Nation Address, which directed that a Digital Industrial Revolution Commission would respond to rapid technological advances and ensure the nation’s prosperity,” says a Cabinet statement following its virtual meeting this week.

Announced last April, the 4IR commission is tasked with advising Ramaphosa and government as a whole on relevant policies, strategies and action plans to position SA as a smart, connected and competitive global player.

Its key objective is to coordinate the development of SA’s national response through a comprehensive action plan to deal with 4IR.

The commission, consisting of leaders from academia, business and civil society, began its work in May 2019, combining research and stakeholder engagements to generate a comprehensive view of SA’s current conditions as well as prospects in the 4IR.

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