Every path to change in history is fresh with hurdles and obstacles. South Africa’s path to adapt its technology to the ways of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) is no different. Establishing a way for young people in the country to attain the knowledge and know-how of the 4IR is one such hurdle. The obstacle is the lack of resources in schools and universities to equip students for the innovations in the workplace. This is despite both the nation, society and government acknowledging the importance of the 4IR while aligning policy with global trends. Sanele Zondo, leader of the IFP and member of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Higher Education, said the country faces a critical and widening skills gap, particularly in technical, digital, and entrepreneurial capabilities.
“Many schools lack electricity, let alone devices or trained teachers. Furthermore, the lack of industry involvement means many of these programmes are designed in isolation and not aligned with real-world demands. The system is falling short by failing to scale successful pilot projects nationally and is unsuccessful in ensuring teacher readiness. Without trained educators, even the best 4IR curriculum will not succeed,” he said.
Asked about practical solutions to bridge the skills gap in the South African education system, Zondo said his party, the IFP, believes in people-centred, pragmatic policy solutions. “We propose compulsory digital literacy and entrepreneurship modules from Grade 7 onwards. Stronger partnerships between schools and industries, ensuring curriculum alignment and internship pipelines. National Youth Innovation Centres in all provinces that offer free short skills training in coding, design, renewable energy, and other 4IR sectors.
Support for TVET colleges, including funding for student accommodation, resources, and modernised equipment. A review of educator training programmes to ensure teachers are equipped to teach emerging content. We must treat skills development as a national priority and not a bureaucratic checkbox,” he said.
The nation is indeed facing the largest obstacle in bridging the gap between education and the new technologies we call the 4IR. Key to this is the unresolved issue of service delivery. Thirty-one years on since the dawn of democracy, and the vast majority of schools still do not have electricity?
This is particularly true in the rural areas. If the government was so concerned about making the country a magnet and cradle of the 4IR in Africa, why have they failed to meet the challenges of infrastructure, particularly in education, head-on? To whom should the responsibility of skills training and adaptation of knowledge fall? Certainly, the provincial and municipal levels of government, as well as Pretoria, have their part to play. The private sector, particularly the business-oriented sector, also has its role in the development of young minds to be concerned.
Adapting skills training and service delivery with the “business as usual” protocol should come to an end. Better engagement between the state at all levels concerned, civil society and public and private sectors in providing better education and skill-training should be a priority. The adaptation of the education curriculum should be taken alongside consultation with the communities concerned.
The increasingly sophisticated tactics used by bad actors and the escalating damage they can do to your business if they are able to gain access demonstrate just why security should be your primary focus. “And in my opinion,” he continues, “there is only one AI solution that delivers comprehensive and integrated security, and that is Microsoft’s Copilot. “Don’t forget that everything you, as a good person, can achieve with AI, can equally be achieved with nefarious intent by cyber criminals. It is thus important to ensure that everyone in your business knows exactly what to watch out for when it comes to potential phishing and other forms of cyber-attack,” notes Neethling.
“Deepfakes, for example, are already very lifelike, so how much better will they be in a year’s time? Perhaps the biggest impact advances like this have is that they attack our ability to trust, and it is for reasons like this that Microsoft is putting so much effort into figuring out exactly what these bad actors can do with AI.”
Tech development is on a tight rope of magnanimous proportions. The delicate balance of pursuing the right form of AI and coding is hindered by the threat of cat phishing and viruses such as Trojan horses. This is why firewalls and other forms of digital security exist to protect software. The Education curriculum warns about the harm and threat hackers, viruses and their technological innovation pose. The spread of malware, such as faulty programmes and viruses, can deeply affect the development of a company’s data storage in its day-to-day routines. For a company to protect the data on its transactions, it has to be equipped with the latest technology. When we refer to the latest tech, we refer to the latest anti-viruses and firewalls created.
AI, coding, robotics and the like are at the heart of the next stage in the progress of industrial evolution. Their part in the South African economy needs to be shaped by cooperation between the government (especially the departments of Basic and Higher Education), the private sector and civil society. The presence of hackers trying to lure unsuspecting users in with cat phishing and Trojan horse viruses is another concern that private corporations need to worry about.
Article written by:
Yacoob Cassim
Journalist at Radio Al Ansaar
