Kathy Gibson reports – Government has a firm policy t drive digital innovation, with the aim of improving service delivery while helping to uplift citizens.
Nonkqubela Thathakahle Jordan-Dyani, director-general of the Department of Communications and Digital Technologies, explains that digital innovation through cloud services enhanced economic inclusivity by providing access to advanced technologies for SMMEs and enables new business models.
At the same time, cloud makes technology more accessible, reducing barriers to economic participation, and helping to alleviate poverty.
It can also help to build a capable and ethical devilment environment, strengthening the state’s ability to deliver services efficiently , transparently and accountably.
“To realise the three priorities in the digital transformation agenda, we need cloud and capabilities,” she says.
Jordan-Dyani points out that the country’s National Data and Cloud Policy has three fundamental goals:
- A comprehensive framework to promote a secure, sovereign digital ecosystem for both the public and private sectors.
- Focuses on data sovereignty: Localising sensitive data to ensure national security and promote economic benefits.
- Public cloud infrastructure will play a key role in accelerating digital transformation across sectors.
“The policy positions South Africa as a leader in the digital economy by creating a thriving environment for innovation and growth in the cloud sector,” Jordan-Dyani says..
Implementing the policy provides an opportunity for business as well:
- Incentives for local data storage: Policy encourages investment in local data centers, which enhances business continuity and reduces dependency on foreign infrastructure.
- Public-private collaboration: Strong focus on partnerships between government and industry to build and expand cloud infrastructure. This opens avenues for cloud providers to support key public sector projects, including healthcare, education, and e-government.
- Growth in cloud services: Policy fosters a conducive environment for expanding cloud adoption in small businesses, facilitating digital transformation in sectors like finance, retail, and manufacturing.
- Emphasis on security standards: The policy mandates robust security measures for cloud services, ensuring trusted solutions and protecting critical infrastructure while promoting trust among consumers and businesses.
“I hope that big business, small players and entrepreneurs can innovate on this framework to make South Africa a thriving investment hub. And to enable us to unlock the many digital opportunities that are available,” Jordan-Dyani says.
The ICT priorities in the NDP 2030 aims to make high speed broadband internet universally available at competitive prices. Currently, the Global Digitalisation Index ranks South Africa as 43 out of 77 countries. While there are improvements in some areas, there is still a lot of work to be done to enable digitalisation in the country, Jordan-Dyani says.