Chairperson of the Digital Economy Working Group at the South Africa BRICS Business Council, Ziaad Suleman says as the country moves towards the fourth industrialisation, South Africans need to be skilled.
He says there are discussions that are taking place currently regarding skilling and re-skilling people to ensure economic growth and job creation.
Suleman was speaking to the SABC at the Business Council seminar on Energy at the Gallagher Convention Centre in Johannesburg, ahead of the upcoming BRICS Summit.
“Skills are really the cornerstone of an emerging economy, not only for South Africa but for Africa and beyond. And really with the globe having become one, we really need to have the right skills in order to support growth. You know ultimately the digital economy and the digital skills work not only in the industrialised sector, but also in the formal and the informal sectors, and therefore it’s extremely important. What’s also very important to note is that even in our digital economy group, you know, skills form one of the corner pillars.”
Excitement
Meanwhile residents of the Nelson Mandela Bay Metro are excited about the upcoming BRICS summit, and believe it is a step in the right direction for the country .
One resident says, “I think that it is very important that leaders from different nations come together and see the problems that we face and how other nations combat such things and what their solutions are, so that we can come together and find solutions and we can have different perspectives in our diversities of cultures.”
Cape Town residents have expressed mixed views about the upcoming summit.
One says, “Based on that, I think we should do our own thing, you know sometimes staying away from these giants of the world, sometimes it’s a good thing. You know we should try to look after our own.”
Another adds, “I think we should stay in the middle and not get involved in other people’s fights. Worrying about other things around the world, they can’t even sort out their own problems around here, what about the loadshedding?”
Reporting by Kim Daniels.
