MTETO NYATI, MD OF MICROSOFT SOUTH AFRICA | FOREWORD
20 YEARS OF DEMOCRACY
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Mteto Nyati Managing Director Microsoft South Africa
ext year, we celebrate 20 years of democracy in South Africa. We’re seen around the world as the Rainbow Nation – and indeed, we’ve come a long way in terms of empowering an entire generation of people who were previously excluded from the social and economic mainstream. But we still have much work to do. For millions of South Africans, their daily reality remains one of unemployment, poverty and a lack of opportunity to carve their little place in the sun. As a nation, our challenge is clear: we need to make meaningful strides in tackling the scourge of youth unemployment in South Africa by giving people real-world skills and creating jobs. At the moment, our unemployed youth are the biggest threat to our stability as a nation; but harnessed well, they can become the country’s greatest asset. We also need to rethink our empowerment models, which have resulted in only a small handful of people benefiting from share deals, instead of all of our people, as originally envisaged. I believe the answer lies in creating a new model of empowerment, which is based on creating small companies and helping them grow – thereby creating jobs and true empowerment. Within the next two decades, I would like to see a future where all our citizens genuinely participate: a country with decent employment opportunities, in a vibrant economy, that is supported by modern infrastructure and services - a South Africa where everyone has the chance to enjoy a decent quality of life. To do this though, I think we need to tap into the innate ability of technology to uplift society. We’re only scratching the surface right now, but there is so much more that we can do to use technology to connect schools and uplift education, to
“At the moment, our unemployed youth are the biggest threat to our stability as a nation; but harnessed well, they can become the country’s greatest asset.” drive real development in rural areas, to transform our health system and meet societal challenges at many levels. We need to enable the creation of a knowledge economy across the continent by using Africa’s greatest resource – its people. We must focus on building and growing sustainable businesses. We want to inspire a new generation of business owners and create a spirit of entrepreneurship through ongoing mentorship and support for small and micro-businesses. We have to create more jobs by giving people skills, growing entire markets for technology, creating opportunities for ordinary Africans, and helping small businesses grow. We must work together to help more South Africans – and indeed, all people of Africa - connect with each other and the rest of the world by making personal technology more accessible to them. Right now, we have the chance to increase this country’s global competitiveness by helping the continent close the opportunity divide that exists between itself and more advanced markets. If we seize this opportunity now, we’ll have gone a long way towards creating a South Africa where our children can thrive in the modern, inter-connected world.
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