The work of the B20 SA Digital Transformation Task Force has drawn to a close, and its final recommendations have been issued. Expanding inclusive modern digital infrastructure and connectivity, strengthening national digital literacy systems, advancing secure, trustworthy, inclusive and human-centric AI, and promoting secure and inclusive digital public infrastructure are the identified action steps to bridge the globe's digital divide.
But what does this mean for and in SA? On the face of it we are on the right path. Under Operation Vulindlela a dedicated digital services unit housed in the presidency was set up in May to drive the implementation of digital services across government. A well-structured National AI policy framework was published for comment last year, and more commitments are expected from communications and digital technologies minister Solly Malatsi when the tech world gathers in Cape Town at Africa Tech soon.
Perhaps bigger than the risk of being on the wrong path is progressing too slowly on the right path. We have policy and promises to build a thriving digital future in abundance, but right now we are sorely lacking in evident action and meaningful delivery.
The passport e-gates installed at the borders of our international airports are a good example of laudable plans failing in execution. Often these gates are not operational, or if they are, use is limited to individual South Africans travelling alone. A box has been ticked in a digital transformation plan, but in reality the queues and manual processing of entries and exits persist.
Whether we can finally move from ambition to action, from policy to delivery, in our digital economy begins with a few urgent, decisive steps.
When the government called for comment on the National AI Policy Framework a year ago, it seemed that minds were focusing on the investment, growth and jobs that well-structured and enabling laws and regulations can bring.
The framework's 12 strategic pillars are solid, ranging from talent development and supercomputing infrastructure to ethical AI and data governance.
We need to see a final position now and how this is being rolled out in practice so that investors and the business community can proceed with a sense of predictability and assurance.
Far beyond frameworks, we should have an intrinsic understanding across the public sector that AI's value in a fiscally constrained environment like SA can have an even more fundamental effect on how resources are allocated and services delivered.
Take the example of SA's dynamic interprovincial migrations. People are constantly moving for work, education and healthcare access, but provincial budget allocations are based on static population estimates that lag years behind reality.
AI models could integrate anonymised data like mobile network use, school enrolments, clinic visits and more to map real-time population movements and service demand where it is actually taking place.
If one province's population shifts significantly towards another, AI models could flag the discrepancy between budgeted and real-time service demand, informing mid-year adjustments and longer-term budget planning. This would help ensure that per capita funding in vital areas like education and health follows citizens to their point of service delivery and not outdated assumptions.
Smarter budgets will mean better classrooms, more nurses and more equitable service delivery without increasing total expenditure. We just require the political will to put available intelligence where inertia used to live.
Affordable devices are the gateway to education and work opportunities and connecting more of us to global markets, which makes the Treasury's removal of VAT on entry-level smart devices earlier this year a step in the right direction. We need more of this.
Next, regulators and government decision-makers must consider clever ways to better connect citizens without burdening the fiscus. Here, strong leadership and clear direction for public servants can have a huge impact. Government could quickly expand access for millions by co-ordinating work across siloed departments to expedite environmental and planning approvals for ISPs building in underserved or identified rural areas -- all within existing legislative frameworks.
If the government can follow through on its commitment to complete universal access by 2030 using a mix of terrestrial, fibre, 5G, and satellite solutions, we will be many steps closer to bridging the persistent divide between our connected and disconnected economies.
What we stand to gain
According to 2024 data from the Global System for Mobile Communications Association (GSMA), the digital economy could contribute nearly 20% by 2028, add 300,000 jobs and expand access to essential services for millions of people. But if this is to be realised, policy, skills and infrastructure promises must be delivered with haste.
While the G20 presidency may be coming to a close, creating strong and enabling foundations for a digital economy that can grow and lead into the future is how SA's legacy can be truly cemented. The creation of an inclusive and growing digital economy in SA will be defined by a bias for action. We are ready to play our part in this urgent quest.