BRIDGING THE GAP
BY TOYIN ELEBE
The world appears to move from fighting the worst pandemic in recent history to managing an endemic, notably with nations at different levels of success for now. Covid-19 for the last two years constituted a formidable barrier to global economic growth and the general wellbeing of almost every human on the planet. That said, it appears we are at the cusp of a remarkable recovery despite the gathering headwind of geopolitical concerns in Europe and inflation.
Education and technology played an essential role in getting us to where we are now and will undoubtedly be vital in moving us forward into normalcy. For most, that will mean the effective management and perhaps eradication of Covid-19 and its variants and the ushering in of a new world of innovation, sustainability and diversity. Nowhere will the impact be more visible than the emerging markets in Africa.
With a much younger population than other continents, technology and education primarily driven by the global democratisation of information with dissemination ideas, have helped the African continent develop much faster in the last ten years than the previous two decades. Undoubtedly, access to technology played a considerable part in this.
South Africa, one of the better-developed economies in the continent, is a good case study on the positive effects of the symbiotic relationship between technology and education. The education sector has improved significantly since the end of apartheid, with almost universal participation in recent times. Of course, there remain challenges, especially around infrastructure and drop-out rate before completing basic education, based on Amnesty International report – State of Education in South Africa. However, this is not exclusive to South Africa; the world's developed economies are working hard to prepare and get their education system ready for the Fourth Industrial Revolution, according to the World Economic Forum’s 2019 Global Competitiveness Report. In the report, no African country was ranked in the top ten countries with the digital skills to master the new industrial revolution.
Based on recent trends, it would not be a surprise to see South Africa in the top-ranked economies with digital skills in the next few years. The country boasts the most developed start-up eco-system in Africa, ahead of Egypt, Nigeria and Kenya. Through the small, medium and micro-enterprises [SMME] development programme, its government is poised to accelerate the country's technology development even further.
South Africa is also the leader in smart city technology, with cities like Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban taking the lead in implementing technology-driven and smart cities solutions.
All these and many more will be crucial in defining and developing the 21st-century skills South Africa's young population needs for the future, such as "global citizenship" skill, which is basically being aware of the wider world and understanding sustainability. This particular skill set has made a substantial positive impact in South Africa's recent history, which is made possible through technology with over fifty-five percent mobile connectivity among its population. Other skills such as innovation, creativity, technology, interpersonal and diversity are all in the mix. Backed with sustainable investment in technology and education, a new kind of future, future South Africa offers even more promises.