Pitso Kekana, head of public affairs and corporate citizenship for Samsung Africa RHQ, touts ICT as a vital tool in upskilling disadvantaged South Africans in the post-apartheid dispensation in an article he has written. This approach would address the lack of relevant skills and the availability of existing jobs for an ever-growing working-age, he argues. Eventually, it will have the desired impact on economic growth.
Says Kekana: “Given Africa’s rapid increase in mobile phone users – 40-fold since 2000 – it is clear that technology will play a fundamental role.” He believes that just having access to the internet can change a previously disadvantaged individual’s life through online learning resources and platforms with which to upskill, develop an idea or start a business.
However, for the real value of ICT to be harnessed, Kekana believes that, with the support of the public sector working on its ICT policies, private sector companies have the power to make use of ICT to provide career guidance and skills development.
“By using their areas of expertise, these companies can also help ensure that upskilling meets real market demands; that the working-age population is making the right decisions about which skills to pursue in order to find employment; that they equally have the soft skills required to land and hold down a job or run a business; and that this population is given the tools they need to create their own work as entrepreneurs,” he says.
