ADVERTORIAL: MTN
More needs to be done to connect the unconnected SA youth There is an urgent need for digital literacy to take its place as a key pillar of youth education, yet access to technology remains a major stumbling block for our children. It is crucial this access gap is closed.
According to the World Economic Forum (WEF), a staggering 40% of the world’s population live within range of a mobile signal but aren’t able to make use of it. Digital literacy stands out as the single largest barrier to the uptake of broadband connectivity and the loss of array of opportunities brought by the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR). A survey cited by WEF, for instance, found that almost 70% of people overall indicated they do not understand what the internet is or how to use it. As a major player in the telecommunications industry and employer of a large workforce, MTN South Africa is committed to playing its part in providing the youth with opportunities to enhance their ICT skills and long-term career prospects. MTN also has a role to play in creating an enabling environment for innovation, entrepreneurship, skills enhancement and job creation in the digital economy. Through the MTN SA Foundation and MTN Pulse – MTN’s youth-only proposition which offers the youth access to lower data fees and opens opportunity to skills enhancement - MTN SA is directly responding to this challenge by connecting the unconnected youth. Significant strides are being made. The GSMA’s State of the Mobile Internet Connectivity 2020 report highlights that in Sub-Saharan Africa mobile broadband coverage has seen improvements in recent years and affordable handsets have become more widely available. Through collaboration with key government and other partners, MTN SA is on a quest to improve this situation – and it all starts with education. In a recent report, the WEF rightly says the lack of digital skills in Africa can be addressed by investing in broadband infrastructure, partnerships and investment in digital education, access to funding and education recovery. The good news is that the technological revolution sweeping the world is beginning to have a profound impact on the continent, presenting an opportunity to “hit the reset button” and “reimagine the education landscape” by addressing the challenge of exclusion, to achieve quality education for all. MTN SA is not standing still on driving this change and we are already connecting more of our youth to a world of digital opportunity – and opening the door to prospects for jobs in the 4IR. Our flagship programme to create shared value in
56
sabusinessintegratrator.co.za
