EUP PORTFOLIO
1|P ag e
, SECTION A: the digital divide
Overcoming the digital divide: The digital divide is a term used to explain the gap in access
to digital technologies and communication technologies present in different demographics
and regions. The reason for a digital divide varies from country to country, below I have
listed reasons as to why a digital divide is present in South Africa and steps that can be
taken to rectify this and bridge the ICT divide.
Access to technology: A major contributing factor to the digital divide in South Africa is the lack of access
to technology. Due to poor ICT infrastructure, many rural areas and townships do not have access to the
internet and inherently do not have the tools necessary to fully utilize technologies, applications, and
services provided by private businesses and our government. An improvement in accessible and efficient
ICT infrastructure is necessary to improve access to technology. The UN representative for the United
States listed ICT as one of the most powerful tools available for enabling development within our societies
and economies, he recognized their ability to create new industries and transform the markets. Economic
and political divides within our country can only advance with the access to information and services; once
information is accessible for all will we see a paradigm shift in inequality. We can only ensure that
members of our communities become fully integrated and connected with society if government
establishes a communication system that is affordable and reliable. Infrastructure should not only fall upon
government but upon the private sector as well, as the private sector will reap the benefits of ICT
infrastructure although they do not find the high costs related with building rural infrastructure particularly
attractive. Through government intervention and policy, the private sector could become more involved in
the process of improving ICT infrastructure.
Affordability: Numerous factors within our economy contribute to the fact that the majority of South
Africans do not have access to information and communication technology. A stagnant minimum wage, the
increase in unemployment percentages matched with the prices of data, smartphones, and broadband
increasing every year creates a volatile trend where access to information and the internet is seen as a
luxury, not a necessity. The government needs to take more steps to help increase the minim wage for
South Africans to enjoy a better standard of living. Unless internet access becomes free or dramatically
drops in price, the majority of South Africans simply cannot afford comprehensive access to ICT
technology. The availability of spectrum to the telecommunication sector could lead to a drop in data
prices if market conditions are just right. Regulation within the sector is necessary in order to ensure that
companies are fair and not marking up their products based on a lack of regulation. We should ensure
more public access to technology through community based projects that enable community members to
access computes and the Internet free of charge, to ensure that even our poorest citizens can still have
access to technology.
Education: We cannot simply give access to ICTs without implementing programs to help educate people
on information management and information literacy. Not only is education on the usage of technology
vital but in a world where information overload is ever-present, information literacy and information
management are dynamic tools necessary to navigate this world and use ICTs to their full potential.
"Information literacy empowers people in all walks of life to seek, evaluate, use and create information
2|P ag e
1|P ag e
, SECTION A: the digital divide
Overcoming the digital divide: The digital divide is a term used to explain the gap in access
to digital technologies and communication technologies present in different demographics
and regions. The reason for a digital divide varies from country to country, below I have
listed reasons as to why a digital divide is present in South Africa and steps that can be
taken to rectify this and bridge the ICT divide.
Access to technology: A major contributing factor to the digital divide in South Africa is the lack of access
to technology. Due to poor ICT infrastructure, many rural areas and townships do not have access to the
internet and inherently do not have the tools necessary to fully utilize technologies, applications, and
services provided by private businesses and our government. An improvement in accessible and efficient
ICT infrastructure is necessary to improve access to technology. The UN representative for the United
States listed ICT as one of the most powerful tools available for enabling development within our societies
and economies, he recognized their ability to create new industries and transform the markets. Economic
and political divides within our country can only advance with the access to information and services; once
information is accessible for all will we see a paradigm shift in inequality. We can only ensure that
members of our communities become fully integrated and connected with society if government
establishes a communication system that is affordable and reliable. Infrastructure should not only fall upon
government but upon the private sector as well, as the private sector will reap the benefits of ICT
infrastructure although they do not find the high costs related with building rural infrastructure particularly
attractive. Through government intervention and policy, the private sector could become more involved in
the process of improving ICT infrastructure.
Affordability: Numerous factors within our economy contribute to the fact that the majority of South
Africans do not have access to information and communication technology. A stagnant minimum wage, the
increase in unemployment percentages matched with the prices of data, smartphones, and broadband
increasing every year creates a volatile trend where access to information and the internet is seen as a
luxury, not a necessity. The government needs to take more steps to help increase the minim wage for
South Africans to enjoy a better standard of living. Unless internet access becomes free or dramatically
drops in price, the majority of South Africans simply cannot afford comprehensive access to ICT
technology. The availability of spectrum to the telecommunication sector could lead to a drop in data
prices if market conditions are just right. Regulation within the sector is necessary in order to ensure that
companies are fair and not marking up their products based on a lack of regulation. We should ensure
more public access to technology through community based projects that enable community members to
access computes and the Internet free of charge, to ensure that even our poorest citizens can still have
access to technology.
Education: We cannot simply give access to ICTs without implementing programs to help educate people
on information management and information literacy. Not only is education on the usage of technology
vital but in a world where information overload is ever-present, information literacy and information
management are dynamic tools necessary to navigate this world and use ICTs to their full potential.
"Information literacy empowers people in all walks of life to seek, evaluate, use and create information
2|P ag e
