Thank you, Program Director,
His Excellency the British High commissioner, Mr. Anthony Phillipson
The Honourable Acting Premier of Limpopo, Mr Basikopo Makamu
The Capricorn District Acting Mayor, Cllr Solly Mahlatji 
The Acting Mayor of Polokwane, Cllr. Joseph Pemma
SALGA Limpopo representatives,
The Executive leadership of our entities,
Ladies and gentlemen,

Good morning.

It is my pleasure to welcome you all to the launch of the Broadband and Digital Skills Programme; a joint initiative between the Department of Communications, SALGA, and the British High Commission. 

The programme aims to empower municipal managers and councillors to steer the deployment of broadband infrastructure in an inclusive manner to reach as many of people as possible. More so those who are digitally disconnected from the rest of the world or have been left behind by many current digital advances.

The ultimate aim of the programme is to empower local representatives and municipalities with the skills they need to leverage digital innovations improve service delivery and enhance public participation. 

Indicatively, the online curriculum of the programme is set to cover areas such as smart cities development and governance, the policy and regulatory frameworks governing the rollout of broadband, rapid deployment strategies of broadband infrastructure in municipalities, as well as ownership options and broadband infrastructure financing and funding mechanisms.

In a world where public representatives, more so councillors, are inundated with endless service delivery queries and confronted with hundreds of important decisions to make on their council work daily, having the necessary digital skills will enable them to work, smarter, resolve public queries faster and be more accessible to residents.

For many of us here today, who like me still live in villages with limited connectivity due to lack of broadband infrastructure investment in these areas, we are pinning our hopes on partnerships like this to change our lives for better.

As the Department of Communications and Digital Technologies we are determined to unlock infrastructure development and deployment of broadband networks in municipalities to boost local businesses with digital capabilities that will improve their competitiveness in both local and global markets. 

In doing so, we will help create job opportunities in the telecommunications and related industries, as well as improve access to education through reliable online learning and innovation.

Furthermore, the Broadband and Digital Skills for Municipalities program will allow municipalities to address disparities in internet access, which is essential for driving inclusive economic growth and access to digital services.

And most importantly, improved broadband access has the potential to unlock efficient public service delivery through e-Government services, enabling municipalities to deliver essential services quickly without disruption which will improve the quality of life for millions of residents.

As the government, we cannot do it alone. The launch of this program and its continued success relies on strong partnerships between government, the international community, the private sector, educational institutions, and local communities. 

It is in this regard that, on behalf of the Department of Communications and Digital Technologies, we are honoured to extend our sincere appreciation for the support of the British High Commission for making this initiative possible through our International Bilateral Declaration of Intent signed between the South African Government and the United Kingdom under the UK Prosperity Fund ODA resources.

This initiative speaks to our commitment to digital Inclusion and ensuring that all citizens, regardless of where they live, have access to the internet and the digital skills needed to thrive in a modern economy. 

In recognition of the fact that trends and advances in information and communications technology are ever evolving, we are committed to developing these competencies to realise our mission to digitally skill, upskill, and reskill the population.

At the same time, we aim to close the gap between the rapid pace of technological advancement and often lagging policy or regulatory frameworks. 

This will also contribute to closing the gap between digital/tech professionals and policymakers, with the former often frustrated by the lack of understanding by politicians of the very technologies they are mandated to steer and exercise oversight over. 

It is worth noting that it is not just councillors who are being provided with training, at the national level Members of Parliament in the Portfolio Committee have been given the opportunity to sign up for a course on digital economy, supported by the Association of Comms and Technology and administered by Wits University. 

This is to ensure that we are also training political leaders who are capable of leading a digital economy.

The nature of internet connectivity in the country and the lack of digital literacy is reflective of an environment where across society and government we are unfortunately not a working together as well as we could.

Mobile data usage is high, yet home Internet access remains low at 14.5%. At the municipal the challenges to increasing access to internet in the home are plenty.

These include the uncertainty around how wayleaves are managed, perceived price gouging by some municipalities in an attempt to make up for declining revenues from traditional utilities, and gaps in standardisation across the country. 

Although some progress in streamlining the deployment of telecommunications infrastructure has been made with the finalisation of the By-Law for the Deployment of Electronic Communications Facilities as well as the National Policy on Rapid Deployment of Electronic Communications Infrastructure.

A recent article this year, written by an executive member of the Wireless Access Provider’s Association, was helpfully direct in its examination of the challenges faced by operators, especially smaller players, in rolling out broadband in communities across the country. 

The article traces challenges related to inconsistencies across municipalities, exhorbitant prices, arbitrary fees, and bureaucratic processes for obtaining wayleaves. 

The municipalities in question would no doubt object to this characterisation of the operating environment. What this points to is a state of play where partnerships need to be nurtured based on a common vision for the digital transformation of towns and cities, and a commitment to creating value for all. 

If we cannot create an environment where there is a strong business case, then operators will exit and leave millions of residents outside the boundaries of digital inclusion.

Developing digital or ICT skills has been a policy priority in South Africa for many years due to rapid technological changes. 

This is evident in the National Development Plan (NDP) which acknowledges that the global economy is evolving and requires greater attention to enhance industrial skills development. 

Furthermore, the National Integrated ICT White Paper, published by the Department in 2016, alluded to the need for the development of a Digital Society in which digital skills is a requirement. 

The DCDT has taken a step towards empowering the nation through the development of a National Digital and Future Skills Strategy approved by Cabinet in August 2020.

The Strategy provides a guide for the development of professional and societal digital skills required for the country’s advancement as a digital economy.

It also seeks to ensure that ordinary citizens benefit from enhanced level of digital skills leading to an improved quality of life, improved education, greater economic growth, and creation of new jobs. 

While the rollout of the 5-year Digital and Future Skills Implementation Programme has commenced, steering South Africa towards 100% digital connectivity with a population with all digital skills to thrive in this digital era requires partnerships between different spheres of government, business and other role players in society.

In conclusion, collaboration remains the cornerstone of success. It is no different as we aim towards the digital empowerment of public representatives. 

This programme is in recognition of the fact that to empower citizens with the skills they need to seize new opportunities and improve their livelihoods through the embracing of digital technologies, we, as political servants, need to be equally up to the task. 

We will be working closely with local leaders to identify and prioritize training for women, youth, and other marginalized groups to ensure no one is left behind. 

If we truly want to achieve digital inclusion, grow digital literacy and promote digital fluency we take a whole of society approach that leaves no one behind.

We will be working with District Municipalities to monitor the progress of the program to tackle any challenges that arise as quickly as humanly possible.

There are plans in place to extend the programme to more districts, with continuous scaling based on the progress we will be making and the pressing needs in other community needs.

The launch of the Broadband and Digital Skills for Municipalities Program represents a significant milestone in government’s efforts to build digitally connected nation.

Let this be an effective contribution towards improved collaborative efforts among all stakeholders in bridging the digital divide in our country to propel digital economy.

I thank you!!!