KZN Premier Ntuli urges government to embrace technological advancements for enhanced service delivery

JOHANNESBURG - KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Premier Thami Ntuli has called on government to adapt to changes in technology in a bid to improve service delivery and strengthen decision-making across the board.

Ntuli made the call at the opening of the annual GovTech conference in Durban on Monday.

He was joined by Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Blade Nzimande and Communications and Digital Technologies Minister Solly Malatsi.

After a one-year pause government leaders and tech experts have used the return of the event to push for South Africa to keep up with global standards.

Ntuli said the digital economy is not a luxury but a necessary solution to the country’s pressing challenges.

“We find ourselves firmly in the era of the knowledge-based economy. Its implications are profound. As the Asian Development Bank noted in its 2014 study, Innovative Asia: advancing the knowledge-based economy, sustaining high rates of growth into the future and avoiding the middle-income trap requires productivity-led growth driven by innovation. This means that societies must create learning pathways from global technology trends, strengthening competitiveness and moving higher up the global value chain.”