Digital Technologies and Digital Skills in Organisations and Government in South Africa: An Environmental Scan

Abstract

This environmental scan research report represents the beginning of a research journey that seeks to identify the changing nature of digital skills in South Africa as a result of technological advancements, more popularly known as the 4th Industrial Revolution (4IR). The 4IR represents the current era of an inter connectedness of things biological, physical and non-physical as a result of the rapid advancements in technological innovations. The innovations have resulted in new types of specialised skills required for new types of work while at the same time causing some previously routine skills to become obsolete. A dual method approach, starting with a qualitative method and followed by a quantitative method, was adopted to examine the status of digital skills, and the usage of digital technologies in the workplace in South Africa. The findings provide the baseline evidence to support informed and effective strategies for digitalisation and participation in the 4IR among Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), organisations and government in South Africa.