South Africa's Digital Vision: Minister Mondli Gungubele at Africa Tech Festival

H.E Minister Mondli Gungubele, Minister for the Department of Communications & Digital Technologies, Republic of South Africa, delivers a keynote address at Africa Tech Festival, outlining the vision for Africa's digital transformation. He starts by acknowledging key figures and sponsors who have contributed to the success of the event and highlights the significant progress made by James Williams in leading such a major event at a young age.
Minister Gungubele discusses the importance of Cape Town as a hub for digital visionaries and leaders, emphasizing the city's role in shaping Africa's digital future. He points out the digital divide between Africa and more developed regions, with only 40 percent of Africa's population connected to the internet compared to Europe's higher rate. The Minister emphasizes the need to improve access to reliable and affordable home-based internet, despite the widespread use of mobile technology.
The speech highlights the role of the Africa Tech Festival in fostering innovative solutions for rapid infrastructure development. Gungubele outlines the expansion of Africa's fiber optic networks and submarine cables, emphasizing the importance of such infrastructure for digital advancement.
He stresses the significance of cloud platform services in the era of digital transformation and the growing demand for data processing, citing examples of major tech companies expanding their cloud services in Africa. The Minister also points out the efforts made by various African countries in building cloud infrastructure and improving public and private cloud services.
Gungubele underlines the initiatives undertaken by the South African government to ensure meaningful connectivity and address digital constraints, including the rollout of wireless sites, fiber networks, and the national cloud platform. He invites partnerships in localizing the manufacturing and assembling of smartphones and laptops to accelerate digital adoption.
Concluding, Minister Gungubele extends his gratitude to the participants and partners of the festival, expressing optimism for the collaborative efforts to propel Africa and South Africa's digital transformation to greater heights.
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