Episode 1 | Is South Africa Ready for a Digitally Inclusive Future?

Digital Inclusion and Infrastructure as Foundations

Malatsi opens by framing digital inclusion as a critical challenge shaped by South Africa’s historical and economic divides. He stresses that “there is a divide in the population in terms of who has access to connectivity,” highlighting three main barriers: broadband infrastructure quality, device affordability, and data costs. For him, “having a smart device is not a luxury” but a necessity, and the government is actively exploring tax reforms to reduce costs and improve accessibility. Programs like SA Connect, which provide free public Wi-Fi at schools and clinics, alongside private sector efforts such as MTN’s rollout of devices to rural learners, illustrate a multi-stakeholder push to close the digital gap.

Policy Reform and Economic Impact

The Minister positions the ICT sector as a major economic driver, insisting that policy must enable opportunity rather than hinder it. He argues for regulatory equity to foster competition and maximize investment and job creation, stating, “If it doesn’t contribute towards inclusive economic growth and job creation, then it fails a very basic test.” He also highlights the need to modernize state-owned enterprises like the South African Post Office through public-private partnerships, leveraging their vast infrastructure to serve vulnerable communities more effectively.

Political Will, Bureaucracy, and Leadership Alignment

Political will, for Malatsi, means “permanent demonstrable ability to take decisions when they need to be taken.” He credits the current government of national unity with fostering a culture of responsiveness and proactivity, essential for digital transformation. However, he warns that visionary leadership must bring the bureaucracy along, as “the bureaucracy becomes the everyday drivers and executors of that vision.” This alignment is crucial to translating policy into action and sustaining momentum.

Rejecting narrow views, Malatsi emphasizes that digital transformation cuts across sectors, with cybersecurity as a prime example impacting organizational resilience and employee wellbeing. On AI, he acknowledges its potential to boost productivity and creativity but stresses the importance of ethical application to prevent misuse, misinformation, and intellectual property violations. “The most important thing is the ethical application because they are subject to manipulation,” he cautions. He also challenges fears of job displacement by AI, highlighting how it “unlocks new markets” and creates demand for new skills and industries.

Digital Literacy and Education Reform

Recognizing digital literacy as a government priority, Malatsi points to ongoing efforts to integrate digital tools into education and calls for curriculum reform that anticipates future skills needs. He stresses that embracing digital technology must be “an instrument for progress in life, not a box-ticking exercise.” Partnerships for outreach and community engagement are key to fostering this mindset across urban and rural areas alike.

“The ultimate goal is to have a digitally inclusive South Africa. As long as I’m in this role, everything we do will be geared towards digital inclusion—expanding digital skills, creating opportunities for digital skilling, and ensuring that as many South Africans as possible can participate in the digital economy. This sector must be a major driver of investment and job creation.”

– Solly Malatsi, Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies, South Africa

E-Government and the Need for Meaningful Digitization

Malatsi critiques superficial digitization efforts, such as merely scanning documents, and calls for improving the public’s experience with digital services. He cites issues like network failures at Home Affairs offices despite claims of digitization and envisions integrated health e-services that provide seamless access to medical histories nationwide. Reflecting on past shortcomings, he attributes delays to complacency and lack of proactive leadership but expresses cautious optimism about the current government’s ability to drive meaningful change.