Connect 2 Connect Summit“Engaging Africa’s Youth”

Presentation by Lumko Mtimde, USAASA CEO

The Legislative Mandate• The Constitution

– Constitution: “… improve the quality of life of all citizens and free the potential of each

person” and, in doing so, enables equality in the rights, privileges and benefits ofcitizenship, including the guarantees of freedom of expression and association in the Bill ofRights in digital world. “

• Public Finance Management Act, 1999

• Electronic Communications Act (ECA) - in terms of the ECA, the USAASAmust (amongst others):

– strive to promote the goal of universal access and universal service;

– foster the adoption and use of new methods of attaining universal access anduniversal service;

– make recommendations to enable the Minister to determine what constitutesuniversal access, universal service and under-serviced areas;

– conduct research into and keep abreast of developments in the Republic andelsewhere on information communication technology, electronic communicationsservices and electronic communications facilities;

– make recommendations to the Minister in relation to policy on any matter relatingto universal access and universal service;

– advise the Authority (ICASA) on any matter relating to universal access anduniversal service; manage the Universal Service and Access Fund (USAF) inaccordance with the provisions of the Act;

– Provide incentives to network licensees to construct operate and maintain networksin under-serviced areas. 2

Legislative Mandate

National Policies: NDP, New Growth Path & SIP 15

• National Development Plan (NDP):The ICT sector by 2030 will underpin the development of a dynamic andconnected information society and a vibrant knowledge economy that is moreinclusive and prosperous. A seamless information infrastructure will…

• New Growth Path:One of the job creation drivers identified as part of the New Growth Path, thenational 5-year economic plan for the country, is the element of the knowledgeeconomy – an economy that is underpinned by access to affordable high speedbroadband…

• Nine Point Intervention Plan:Among the Nine-Point Plan priorities of Government aimed at igniting growth, isthat the State reform and boosting the role of state-owned companies; ICTinfrastructure or broadband roll-out; water, sanitation and transportinfrastructure.

Another is Operation Phakisa (a programme aimed at accelerate implementationof the NDP). Operation Phakisa in Education is envisaged to, amongst other things,address the need to train and prepare teachers to integrate ICT in their classroomsand change their teaching practices aligned to the ICT resources.

• SIP-15: Expanding Access to Communication Technology :AIM: 100% access to digital ICTs to all South Africans by 2020 as a driver of neweconomic opportunities and digital equity. Interim implementing agencies include:Sentech, Broadband Infraco, Telkom, SANRAL, Eskom, Transnet, USAASA, and theprivate sector.

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Digital Opportunity Strategy : Youth in ICTs

• Youth with access to technology are coming of age as digital natives, the early adopters of ICTs andbetter positioned than their parents to harness the power of ICTs in new and imaginative ways.

Education plays a pivotal role in uptake and use

of ICTs

• Around the world, youth disproportionately suffer from the malaise of unemployment.

• The scale of the problem is immense, holding back economic growth while stifling the aspirations ofpeople recently entering the workforce and at the beginnings of their careers.

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Youth in ICTs

• Youth make up 17 per cent of theworld’s population and 40 per cent ofthe world’s unemployed, according tothe International Labour Organization(Measuring the world’s digital natives” inITU, Measuring the Information Society2013 (Geneva: ITU, 2013)

• Global Crisis : Currently, 73 millionyoung people are unemployedworldwide, with more and more youthfinding longer lines for available jobs,according to the International LabourOrganization. (International LabourOrganization, "Global Employment Trendsfor Youth 2013,”)

Underemployed youth is triple theunemployment rate:

Sub-Saharan Africa has a youth unemploymentrate close to 11 per cent, but three out of fourworkers are engaged in the informal sector.Although these jobs count as employment, theydo little to contribute to an individual’s well-being and a country’s economic development.World Bank 2105

People with more advanced ICT skills can takeadvantage of an even wider range ofopportunities brought about by the growth ofthe “app economy,” mobile phones, socialmedia, and the game industry.

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Agriculture

The agriculture sector is becoming more knowledge intensive, and as this trend intensifies so too do

opportunities for ICT-related job creation

Timely access to information and communication allows farmers to cope with and even benefit from

challenges like a growing population, constant price changes, climate change, or the integration of food

markets.

Offshore services

Offshore services are a potential vehicle for low- andmiddle-income countries to participate in the globalknowledge economy

These services include :

– information technology outsourcing (ITO),

– business process outsourcing (BPO),

– knowledge process outsourcing (KPO).

Health

• Healthcare is a global multi-trillion dollarindustry that is undergoing massive changes asa result of ICT driven innovations

• Unequal access to affordable and high-qualityhealth services continues to be a criticalchallenge in many low and middle incomecountries.

• This has triggered interest in using ICTs, and inparticular mobile phones, to solve globalhealth challenges. 6

Economic Sectors Driving Youth Employment

Digital opportunities: Innovative ICT solutions for youth employment ,February 2014

South Africa’s Response in Youth on ICTs

The South Africa Connect underpins availability, accessibility and affordability principles which are

central to Universal Service and Access.

• SA Connect is made up of a four pronged strategy:

• Both supply and demand side interventions will close the identified gaps between the current relatively poor status ofbroadband in the country and the vision of a seamless information infrastructure by 2030

• The strategy will provide:

– Universal accessibility across the country at a cost and quality that meets the needs of citizens, business and the publicsector.

– Access to the creation and consumption of a wide range of converged applications and services required for effectiveeconomic and social participation.

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HOW?

Digital Skills Training

• DTPS – HUAWEI Innovation Centre

• MICTSETA

• NEMISA

• E-Skills

• Partner to deliver digital skillstraining that lead to employabilityand entrepreneurship.

• Digify programme by Livity Africaand supported by the likes ofGoogle is well placed to plug itsservices into USAASA sponsoredschools enabling matriculants theability to be immediatelyemployable.

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ICTs in Education

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THE END

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