Page 17 - index

E-govErnmEnt

Building a smart province

Gauteng Premier david makhura explains how his province is catching up to the digital age and the fourth
industrial revolution.*

Much has been said and written about the the pace is not at fast enough. Recent Gauteng’s is the first provincial gov-
advent of the fourth industrial revolution, data on the structure of the Gauteng ernment to set up a Department of
which represents a technological leap economy indicates that the mining and e-Government in the country as part
of fantastic magnitude. According to manufacturing sectors, which for many of the drive to becoming a smart,
the executive chairman of the World years have been the backbone of the innovation-driven and knowledge-based
Economic Forum (WEF), Professor Gauteng economy, have now reached economy. The provincial government
Klaus Schwab, the fourth industrial re- their peak. The data also indicates that has consequently invested huge re-
volution is the fusion of technological the trajectory of the services sector, sources and energy in preparing for
and the ecological spheres that at once which until recently was a major driver of the fourth industrial revolution and the
holds great promise and yet is a source the Gauteng economy, is becoming flat, development of a new industrialisation
of much unease. Nonetheless, whatever suggesting that the services sector in agenda not just for South Africa, but
the unfolding fourth industrial revolution our province has reached or is nearing the African continent as well. There
portends, it is a reality that needs to its peak. Notably, the emerging and is an urgent need to craft a collective
be prepared for and anticipated if the fast-growing sectors of the Gauteng response to the opportunities and
threats are to be mitigated. economy are the knowledge intensive challenges brought about by the forth
sectors. An emerging trend is that the industrial revolution – a response that
Uzair Younus, an analyst at Albright majority of foreign direct investment must, of necessity, be integrated and
Stonebridge Group, likens the fourth (FDI) into the Gauteng economy is comprehensive, involving all stake-
industrial revolution to boarding a bullet directed towards firms in the knowledge holders such as the following:
train as it passes the platform at an economy. Last year, for example,
incredible speed. Younus argues that software and ICT services firms attracted • The Gauteng Innovation Hub, the
the world’s policy-makers ought to figure the most FDI, benefitting 104 firms National Centre for Scientific and
out ways of helping the majority of the involved in 110 projects. This is followed Industrial Research, universities and
world’s population to somehow board by 57 communication firms involved in private sector innovation centres
the fast moving bullet train or risk being 64 projects. Also of significance is that are playing a strategic role in the
a casualty in its path. In his words, the Gauteng is the most technologically Gauteng innovation ecosystem.
“basic reading and writing skills” that intensive province in our country, with • Signing a ground-breaking
humanity traditionally prides itself on 84,3% of Gauteng households having memorandum of understanding
will not suffice. Instead, the “workforce access to a functional cellular phone with all Gauteng-based universities
of the fourth industrial revolution must and 65% having internet access – which to foster collaboration on building
know how to write and read computer is significantly higher than the national an innovation ecosystem, skills
codes and work in conjunction with average of 53,5%. Clearly, the fourth development, infrastructure
sophisticated hardware and software.” industrial revolution is upon us. development as well as investment
in innovation and research and
Knowledge intensive gauteng is ready to lead development.
• The Gauteng government is
investing in the rollout of broadband
There is evidence that the South The province is riding this wave in infrastructure to enable citizens’
African economy is transitioning to its determination to be the leader in access to information and to help
knowledge intensive industries, but innovation, research and development.
Volume 11 No. 3 of 2018 | SERVICE DELIVERY REVIEW 15