‘Skills development needed to thrive in digital revolution’
SKILLS DEVELOPMENT is key if South Africa wants to thrive in the digital revolution.
This was one of the main points addressed by Minister of Trade and Industry Rob Davies at the second Progressive Business Forum (PBF) breakfast held at the 54th ANC national elective conference yesterday.
Davies spoke of the fourth industrial revolution changing the way the world functions.
“This will bring about disruptive change. Not just production but value chains will be affected,” he said. Davies added that data management and digital are going to be at the apex of firms in the near future. We will have to adapt to this reality,” he said.
Davies said Africa at large was dealing with enormous pressure to sign the digital industrial policy.
“If we don’t, we’ll find ourselves not being able to use technology as a force for good and it will widen inequalities.”
He said there was an opportunity for growth with the new digital revolution. “Our efforts to industrialise are going to have to take place beyond the borders of South Africa.
“Our country and continent remains integrated into the world economy but we are producers and exporters of primary commodities and importers of finished goods from around the world,” he said.
Davies earlier this year, during the Budget address, discussed the launch of industrial policy action plan expressing that the contribution of his department to a more inclusive economic growth meant intensifying the efforts to promote radical economic transformation (RET).
This could be achieved through changing colonial structures of the economy and the inclusion of previously disadvantaged black people in positions of ownership.
On Saturday, Finance Minister Malusi Gigaba gave the keynote address at the first PBF and also touched on RET and its effects on the economy saying that the most important task for the economy was to lead South Africa to inclusive growth through RET.