Main articles: Global digital divide and Internet in South Africa
Overview of the role of the digital divide in South Africa
The digital divide is described as the characterisation of the gap between individuals or countries that have access to information and communications technologies, primarily telecommunications and the Internet, and individuals or countries that do not.[1] This also includes, but is not limited to: access to computers, broadband, information literacy and digital skills.
The primary dimensions of the digital divide are geography (urban vs rural) and income (rich vs poor), but other dimensions include: gender (men vs women), age (young vs old), ethnicity or race (white vs black), linguistic (English-speaking vs non-English-speaking) and literacy (literate vs illiterate).
In particular, South Africa faces many developmental problems that make it one of the more complex societies in the world to map the digital divide in.[2] The country is divided by ethnic inequality and discrepancies in the level of development between different sectors.[3] These obstacles result in disparities in access to information and communications technology (ICT). This disparity is commonly known as the digital divide. There has been another major contributor, namely, Telkom and its monopolistic hold on the progress of ICT in South Africa.[4] South Africa faces unique challenges in addressing the digital divide, including ethnic inequality, disparities in development levels between different sectors, and a historically monopolistic telecommunications industry. Efforts to bridge the digital divide in South Africa involve a combination of government initiatives, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), non-profit organizations (NPOs), and public-private partnerships, all working towards increasing access to technology, promoting digital literacy, and enhancing digital skills among the population.
^Lawrence Schlemmer and Valerie Møller. (1997). The Shape of South African Society and Its Challenges. Social Indicators Research, Vol. 41, No. 1/3, Quality of Life in South Africa. Pg 15 of 15-50.
^Angathevar Baskaran and Mammo Muchie. (2006). Bridging the Digital Divide. Adonis & Abbey Publishers Ltd. Pg 182.
^Kroukamp, H. (2005). E-governance in South Africa: are we coping. Acta Academia, Vol. 37, No. 2. Pg 52-69.
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