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Introduction
TEFO MOHAPI
“I have seen very few countries in the world that have such inadequate educational
conditions. I was shocked at what I saw in some of the rural areas and homelands. Education
is of fundamental importance. There is no social, political, or economic problem you can solve
without adequate education.”
― Robert McNamara, ex-President of the World Bank, during visit to South Africa in 1982
Advancement and innovation within Technology in Africa can only progress if underpinned
by a solid foundation of Maths and Science education. As such, it is encouraging to see
countries such as Kenya, Nigeria and Ghana continuing to innovate in the technology field,
specifically in the field Information and Communications Technology.
This alludes to a relatively good education system which stimulates the youth at a young age
to have an interest in IT. Despite countries such as Kenya having far less resources,
infrastructure and capital, than South Africa it continues to thrive as far as “home grown” IT
solutions (mainly in mobile technology) are concerned. This can be seen further in the
recent Vodacom continent wide mobile app developer competition where Kenyans won 1 st
and 2 nd place, with a South African coming in third place.
Not to mention that the South African who came in third place is white, this brings me to
the crux of the matter. It is not about race but it is worrying that the future of Technology in
South Africa doesn’t reflect the country’s demographics. Technology solutions to a
community’s problems can only be effectively developed by those that have experienced
the problem and are equipped with the necessary technology skills to develop solutions for
them.
Every year South Africa makes a spectacle about the “Matric Pass Rate” (Grade 12),
furthermore in the foreword of the recent 2012 report, South Africa’s Basic Education
Minister; Mrs. Angie Motshekga says “It is my proud privilege to announce the performance
of learners who wrote the Annual National Assessment (ANA) during the week of 18–21
September 2012.”