Recent data shows that 60% of South African workers regularly use generative AI tools, ahead of those in several Western countries
Communications and Digital Technologies Minister Solly Malatsi has urged South Africa to embrace artificial intelligence “with urgency and optimism” after a recent study found that the domestic AI market is projected to reach R6.9 billion by 2025.
“The appetite for knowledge that we see across the country is a testament to our people’s
ambition and readiness to lead the charge into an AI-driven economy,” Malatsi told the 26th edition of the Southern Africa Telecommunication Networks and Applications Conference (Satnac).
According to recent data, 60% of South African workers regularly use generative AI tools, surpassing rates in many Western nations. The country is ranked first in Southern Africa and 52nd globally in the Global Start-Up Ecosystem Report 2024, ahead of countries such as Serbia and Thailand.
“As AI continues to reshape the continental and global landscape, events like Satnac are critical in understanding insights, trends and research on AI innovation affecting the South African and global community,” Mmaki Jantjies, the Satnac chairperson and group executive of the innovation and transformation office at Telkom SA, told the conference.
“By fostering collaboration, knowledge sharing, and the development of homegrown talent, Satnac empowers people to harness the transformative power of AI and unlock a hyperconnected future filled with opportunity.”
In April, the department of communications and digital technologies released a draft national artificial intelligence plan which outlined the government’s vision for integrating AI into various sectors and promoting innovation through a regulatory framework.
“Clearly, we are not merely participants in this global AI revolution — we are active contributors,” Malatsi said on Monday.
The minister, who has been appointed as the incoming president of G20 — an intergovernmental forum comprising 19 countries to address major issues related to the global economy — said he would use this opportunity to foster collaborative efforts to sustain digital inclusion.
“I would like to build upon the achievements of past presidencies to bridge the digital divides, promote equality, and support inclusive sustainable development to improve people’s lives,” Malatsi said.
The journalist’s attendance at the conference was sponsored by Telkom.