“The 4th Industrial Revolution is an era where people are using smart, connected, and converged cyber, physical, and biological systems, and smart business models to define and reshape the social, economic, and political spheres.”
SAtion’s Need to Seed arose with current times of a struggling SA economy, digital progression, and the Fourth Industrial Revolution backed by advances in technologies such as AI, thereafter being escalated to urgency level with the impact of COVID-19 on economies around the world. With economic foresight before the pandemic, and the SA Government working on the 4IR plan, Business Unity South Africa in concert with government initiated further action in early 2020 in response to projected economic growth figures in South Africa. The push to bring SAtion to light aligned with the SA 2030 plan and the National ERRP plan announced by SA’s government became urgent, especially with the sudden fall of SA’s already struggling economy because of the pandemic.
SAtion is established as a social enterprise (NPC).
Digitalise industries, recover the local economy and ensure social progress with a globally competitive, inclusive and shared economy.
The dream of South Africa in a Fourth Industrial Revolution world is: South Africa will have a globally competitive, inclusive and shared economy with the technological capability and production capacity that is driven by people harnessing the 4IR to propel the country forward towards its social and economic goals, instead of falling behind.
Our vision of digital transformation within South Africa and the bringing about of economic recovery through digitalisation involves the organiSAtion of SA Enterprises and Institutions; the IndustrialiSAtion in every sector; the SychroniSAtion and working together; ModerniSAtion in the 4IR; and the ExternaliSAtion for SA to become globally competitive.
The report makes the following key recommendations:
- Invest in human capital related to 4IR.
- Build infrastructure and own some significant 4IR infrastructure, such as hyperscale data centres, fibre-optic network and undersea cables.
- Create platforms for citizen participation.
- Establish creative artificial intelligence, big data analytics, blockchain and cybersecurity.
- Own government strategic data and secure citizens’ data.
- Incentivise future industries and applications of 4IR technologies.
- Update regulation.
To achieve this clear vision, SAtion approaches the challenges through InstitutionaliSAtion and investment for growth; ImproviSAtion – Agile, iterative, and innovative; GeneraliSAtion – one Standard; and SpecialiSAtion – focused in each of the crown bracts (petals) of the King Protea.
In line with our vision, our approach and Operating Model below builds the path to fulfilling SAtion’s multiple purposes, which include but are not limited to, the cost optimiSAtion of digital innovation and integration; the enabling of Smart Cities (5G) through UrbaniSAtion; connecting all rural parts of the nation through RuraliSAtion; as well as increasing the capability and capacity of local industries through LocaliSAtion.
Overall, SAtion will achieve its mission ‘Growing our digital economy in South Africa to ensure inclusive social progress.” and with this, create and support employment through unioniSAtion as well as achieve growth and social progress through civiliSAtion.
Find out about our Workstreams, Recommendations, and Prioritised Outcomes
- Deliver infrastructure
- Hyperscale, Data Centres, Fibre Optic Networks and Undersea cables
- Support the Rapid Payments Programme implementation across Consumers and SMMEs.
- Establish an AI institute
- Establish a platform for advanced manufacturing and new materials
- Establish platforms for citizen participation.
- Establish platforms for citizen participation
- Own Government Strategic Data and secure citizen data
- Incentivize future industries.
- Establish platforms for citizen participation
- Own Government Strategic Data and secure citizen data
- Incentivize future industries.
- Review and Amend Policy & Legislation
- Incentivize future industries.
- Human Capital Investment
- Establish an AI institute
- Establish a platform for advanced manufacturing and new materials
- Establish platforms for citizen participation.
- All of the above
- All of the above