South Africa needs to adopt tech with open eyes

No matter where you look, South Africa has been enjoying what seems to be great technological advancements. In the very near future, South Africans will have a digital ID, which will enable ease of access to government services.

On the AI front, Cassava Technologies, a global technology leader of African heritage, has made significant progress with its landmark project to establish Africa’s first network GPU-as-a-Service (GPUaaS) offering. As the first preferred NVIDIA Cloud Partner (NCP) in Africa, these secure data centre facilities, located across South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya, Egypt, and Morocco, will mark the company's long-standing leadership in providing world-class digital solutions on the continent.

The Minister of Telecommunications has been criss- crossing the tech events landscape to express the country's appreciation of these tech advancements. At the same time, multinational companies have been showcasing their tech capabilities to take the country to the next stage.

While it’s good to celebrate all these advancements, it’s also important to look beyond the obvious. There’s a need to do so about the digital ID,  first network GPU-as-a-Service as well as tech infrastructure offered by Google, Huawei and others. In this era of AI, no country should accept tech solutions without fully understanding its implications, both good and bad. 

In relation to digital ID’s there’s no doubt that they bring about benefits. At the same, it’s also important to be conscious of other possible realities of adopting a digital ID. 

Many have raised concerns about digital ID’s under governments that do not uphold human rights. Many have raised  privacy concerns and mainly highlighting the question of access to the central data, the potential for surveillance, and the risk of excluding those without access to technology or digital literacy skills.

The most important factor about digital ID’s relates to the type of government that will take care of citizens. As long as the government respects human rights all will be good. When suddenly the government changes and they adopt a stunt that does uphold human rights, then a digital ID may pose a challenge that may lead to negative government surveillance. We can easily move from the most advanced tech system that enables citizens to access funding, government services and the right attention at the right time just based on the adoption of a digital ID. As soon as there’s a government change with no regard for privacy, citizens can have their movements watched at every stage leading to limited or no freedom at all. 

All of these factors also highlight the need to choose very carefully a technology infrastructure with values that aligns with national values. So far, we’ve seen some of the great technology solutions offered by Google and Huawei.

Fundamentally, tech giants are supportive of efforts towards the establishment  of  the digital Public Infrastructure (DPI), which includes foundational digital systems, like identity, payments, and data exchange, that enable governments to deliver secure, equitable, and scalable public services. Examples include digital identity systems (such as India's Aadhaar), electronic payment infrastructure (like India's UPI), and data exchange platforms that allow different government services to securely interact. DPI aims to create a common digital framework for all citizens to access services and participate in the economy.

South Africa is well on its way to make all these services possible. Recently, Minister Solly Malatsi  spotlighted the much-anticipated MyMzansi App, designed to be a trusted and unified digital entry point for government services, ensuring convenience without complexity. The challenge going forward will be mainly about choosing the best technology partner. In addition to technology infrastructure, South Africa needs core skills to compete in the global landscape that is moving with speed.

Wesley Diphoko is the Technology Analyst and the Editor-In–Chief of FastCompany (SA) magazine.

*** The views expressed here do not necessarily represent those of Independent Media or IOL.

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