by Tech Talk | Feb 14, 2023 | Articles
Nearly half (47%) of Generation Z is willing to accept short-term economic limitations, such as lower GDP growth, for policymakers to invest in a longer-term strategy that promotes more sustainable growth, according to Dell Technologies research.
The research across 15 international locations captures Gen Z adults’ (18–26 years) voice regarding social and economic recovery strategies. Almost two-thirds (64%) of survey respondents believe technology will play an important role in the fight against climate crisis.
With many of Gen Z willing to bear short-term economic limitations, they ranked sustainable energy (42%), enabling a circular economy (39%) and more sustainable public transport (29%) as the top three investment areas for governments to prioritize. A quarter of respondents (25%) also expressed support for greater sustainability education for citizens.
Aongus Hegarty, President International Markets, Dell Technologies, said: “Gen Z will arguably be the most impacted by public and private investment decisions taken today and will facilitate and maintain a long-term, sustainable recovery. There is an opportunity to earn the support of Gen Z for longer-term strategies that put sustainability at the core of economic growth strategies.”
Gen Z’s confidence that public sector recovery investments would deliver a flourishing economy within 10 years is split: a third globally (32%) have low or no confidence while 38% are undecided and 29% have high or total confidence.
Understandably, there are geographic differences, with Singapore (56%) and Korea (41%) having the most respondents with high or total confidence. Japan (47%) and Brazil (49%) had the highest number of respondents who had low or no confidence.
Respondents said that this digital future must have a strong cybersecurity backbone. More than half (56%) feel there is a need for robust legislation and higher investment in cybersecurity to protect national infrastructures and ensure private businesses meet tough standards. To make this happen, and to improve trust in governments, 38% of respondents want private and public sectors to work together and hold each other accountable.
Closing the digital skills gap and digital divide
Gen Z recognizes the value of developing the necessary digital skills for their future careers. Three-quarters (76%) consider learning new digital skills essential to increasing future career options or plan to acquire them.
Respondents feel their education could have better prepared them with digital skills. Over two-fifths (44%) said school only taught them very basic computing skills, and around one-in-ten (12%) did not receive any education in technology or digital skills. Over a third (37%) claim school (under 16) didn’t prepare them with the technology skills needed for their planned career.
To help bridge the digital skill gap, a third (34%) of respondents suggested making technology courses at all levels of education more interesting and more widely available. A quarter (26%) believe mandatory technology courses up to 16 years will encourage young people into technology-driven careers.
Hegarty added: “It’s clear that Gen Z see technology as pivotal for their future prosperity. It is now up to us – leading technology providers, governments, and the public sector – to work together and set them up for success by improving the quality and access to digital learning. 44% of Gen Z feel educators and businesses should work together to bridge the digital skills gap and with the speed at which technology continues to evolve this will require constant collaboration.”
In response to their views on where governments should prioritize investments to help close the digital divide experience across different locations, demographics and socio-economic groups, Gen Z sees access to devices and connectivity for disadvantaged groups (33%) and connectivity in rural areas (24%) as the most important focus areas.
The research also found:
- To support economic growth, improving healthcare services (21%), investing in education to help close the skills gap (11%) and investing in sustainable/green infrastructure (11%) were the top three priorities globally amongst Gen Z.
- Over half (57%) of Gen Z have low or neutral confidence in their personal data being stored compliantly by healthcare providers.
- Over half (55%) of Gen Z consider flexible and remote working as an important consideration when choosing an employer.
For more information, visit XX and read our research report.
Research Methodology:
Fieldwork was conducted by market research company, Savanta ComRes, from July-August 2022 across 15 locations.
Base: 15,105 ‘Gen Z’ adults (those aged 18-26), with nationally representative quotas set for gender and region in each market. Locations include:
- Australia (1,018 respondents)
- Brazil (1,021 respondents)
- Canada (1,011 respondents)
- France (1,014 respondents)
- Germany (1,020 respondents)
- Italy (1,063 respondents)
- Japan (1,021 respondents)
- Korea (1,020 respondents)
- Mexico (1,005 respondents)
- Netherlands (1,013 respondents)
- New Zealand (811 respondents)
- Singapore (1,022 respondents)
- Spain (1,019 respondents)
- United Kingdom (1,041 respondents)
- United States (1,006 respondents)
- ‘Future-Proof’ Research report by Dell Technologies suggests Generation Z will give policymakers time to deliver economic growth if they can demonstrate a clear, digital plan for a more sustainable future
- Generation Z sees access to devices and connectivity for disadvantaged groups and connectivity in rural areas as key to closing the digital divide
- A strong cybersecurity backbone based on robust legislation and higher investment is vital to protect national infrastructures according to respondents
Editor@tech-talk.co.za
by Tech Talk | Feb 14, 2023 | Articles
The web browser on your Android device is one of the primary ways you access online services and resources. If it is not private and secure, it could open you up to nuisances and risks such as viruses, spyware, privacy-invading trackers, and annoying ads. For Safer Internet Day (8 February) TCL recommends some ways you can improve privacy and security when you’re browsing the mobile web from an Android phone.
1. Android—secure from outset
Provided you keep your smartphone browser and operating system up to date with the latest security patches and updates, you shouldn’t encounter too many problems. Features such as Google Safe Browsing helps protect your device by showing warnings when you try to navigate to dangerous sites or download dangerous files.
Many browser vulnerabilities arise from extensions. Google Safe Browsing’s scanning infrastructure protects the Chrome Web Store from potentially harmful extensions. You also see a Safe Browsing message in Search results or in Gmail when Safe Browsing has found that the site you’re about to visit might be dangerous.
On the Chrome browser installed by default on most Android phones, you have the option to use Incognito mode. When you browse privately, other people who use the device won’t see your history. Chrome doesn’t save your browsing history, information entered in forms, cookies or site data when you exit the browser.
2. Check whether your browser is secure
If you are particularly worried about security and privacy concerns, you can use an app for online service to get peace of mind or confirm your fears. You can navigate to the following sites to do a security check on your browser: Cover Your Tracks, AmIUnique, Cloudflare Browser Check, or Qualys BrowserCheck.
If your browser gets a pass from these services, its security is as sound as you could hope for. If it fails these tests, you should consider replacing it with a more secure alternative. This is especially the case if you have sensitive data on your device, or you simply want to make sure that no one can track your browsing activity.
3. Using a privacy-centred browser
If you’re really cautious about security privacy, a privacy-centred browser like Tor, DuckDuckGo, Braveor Firefox Focus takes protection for your personal data to a whole new level. Most of these block common Web trackers, so advertisers can’t follow you around the web. Tor Browser takes things further by preventing someone watching your connection from knowing what websites you visit.
Editor@tech-talk.co.za.
by Tech Talk | Feb 14, 2023 | Articles
Transformative 2Africa subsea cable lands at the Vodacom facility in Gqeberha (South Africa’s Eastern Cape), to provide a gateway to direct international connectivity for faster, more reliable internet services in the country.
The 2Africa subsea cable, the largest subsea cable system in the world, has landed at the Vodacom network facility in Gqeberha, South Africa. This is the first submarine cable landing in the Eastern Cape region, promising greater internet capacity and acceleration of connectivity across the province and supporting South Africa’s growing digital economy.
The 2Africa Consortium includes eight international partners, China Mobile International, Meta (Facebook), MTN GlobalConnect, Orange, center3 (stc), Telecom Egypt, Vodafone/Vodacom and WIOCC, who have partnered to build 2Africa. Launched in May 2022, the subsea cable project aims to significantly increase the capacity, quality, and availability of internet connectivity between Africa and the rest of the world.
The Gqeberha landing is the 2Africa project’s third on the coast of South Africa, following two recent landings in the Western Cape by MTN GlobalConnect, Vodacom is the designated landing partner, providing facilities for the cable’s installation at an existing site in the Summerstrand area.
“This latest 2Africa cable landing affirms Vodacom’s commitment to driving digital inclusion in Africa by increasing access to quality internet services and investing in the network infrastructure to support this goal. We cannot achieve this alone, and collaboration between other industry stakeholders and the public sector is critical in enabling more citizens across the continent to be connected,” says Diego Gutierrez, Vodacom Group Chief Officer: International Markets.
Through the 2Africa landing at Gqeberha, service providers will be able to obtain capacity on a fair and equitable basis, encouraging and supporting the development of a healthy internet ecosystem. Direct international connectivity can then be provided to data centres, enterprise, and wholesale customers. Once the fibre cable system has been deployed, businesses and consumers will benefit from improved quality, reliability, and lower latency for internet services, including telecommuting, high-definition video streaming and advanced multimedia and mobile video applications.
The cable system’s landing in the Eastern Cape will also offer the potential for much-needed regional job creation in sectors that rely on direct international connectivity, such as data centres, call centres and software development. This employment opportunity can help contribute to local and national socio-economic development.
The 2Africa project underpins further growth of 4G, 5G and fixed broadband access by providing improved connectivity to underserved and rural areas; and network resilience from the Eastern Cape to the rest of South Africa. As a gateway to international connectivity, the cable’s landing at Gqeberha will help to develop telecommunications networks in the Eastern Cape and surrounding provinces.
Submarine cable systems, which provide the international networks between continents and countries, form an integral part of the connectivity value chain and increase internet capacity to meet the current and future demands of growing digitalisation in Africa, while catalysing economic growth. In an RTI study, 2Africa is predicted to spur economic impact worth US$26.2 billion to US$36.9 billion, equivalent to 0.42-0.58% of Africa’s GDP, within two to three years of becoming operational.
Alcatel Submarine Networks (ASN) is responsible for manufacturing and deploying the 2Africa cable, due for completion in 2024. The cable system, measuring 45 000 kilometres in length with a design capacity of 180 Tbps, will interconnect Europe (eastward via Egypt), the Middle East (via Saudi Arabia) and Africa. Essentially, 2Africa will connect 19 countries in Africa and 33 countries in total. The system has four landings in South Africa and two each in Mozambique, Kenya, Nigeria, Somalia and Egypt, so a total of 27 landings in Africa and 46 landings in total. Delivering more than the total combined capacity of all subsea cables serving Africa today, 2Africa will provide much-needed internet capacity and reliability across much of the Middle East, India, Pakistan and Africa, supporting the growth of 4G, 5G, and fixed broadband access for hundreds of millions of people. The 2Africa East cable system, of which the Gqeberha branch is part of, will go live by and be ready for service by the fourth quarter of 2023.
Gutierrez adds, “Vodacom Group is pleased to be working with our partners in the 2Africa project to bring faster, more reliable internet to local businesses and consumers while helping to build an inclusive digital society on the continent and around the world. The subsea cable system enables more communities to access transformative online resources, from education and healthcare to jobs and financial services, and experience seamless connectivity’s economic and social benefits.”
Further information can be found on the 2Africa website at https://www.2africacable.net/about
Editor@tech-talk.co.za
by Tech Talk | Feb 14, 2023 | Articles
President Cyril Ramaphosa says government’s immediate priority in the next year is to restore energy security in the country.
Delivering his State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Thursday evening, the President acknowledged the dire effects of the electricity crisis, which has plunged normal life and business operations into disarray.
“We are in the grip of a profound energy crisis, the seeds of which were planted many years ago. [As] we outline our agenda for the year ahead, our most immediate task is to dramatically reduce the severity of load shedding in the coming months and ultimately end load shedding altogether.
“We cannot undo the mistakes that were made in the past, the capacity that was not built, the damage that was done to our power plants due to a lack of maintenance, or the effects of State capture on our institutions. What we can do is to fix the problem today, to keep the lights on tomorrow and for generations to come,” President Ramaphosa said.
He highlighted that the Energy Action Plan (EAP), announced last July, is the plan spearheading government’s approach to overcoming the energy deficit.
The EAP’s five points of action are:
- Fixing Eskom’s coal-fired power stations and improving the availability of existing supply.
- Enabling and accelerating private investment in generation capacity.
- Accelerating procurement of new capacity from renewables, gas and battery storage.
- Unleashing businesses and households to invest in rooftop solar.
- Fundamentally transforming the electricity sector to achieve long-term energy security.
“During the last six months, we have made important progress in implementing the plan. We have taken steps to improve the performance of Eskom’s existing power stations so that the coal-fired power stations that provide 80% of our electricity produce the amount of electricity for which they were designed.
“Under its new board, Eskom is deploying people and resources to improve the reliability of the six power stations that have contributed the most to load shedding. Eskom is urgently fast-tracking construction of a temporary solution to bring back three units at Kusile power station following the collapse of a chimney stack last year, whilst simultaneously repairing the permanent structure,” President Ramaphosa said.
Added to this, the President said Eskom is rebuilding skills and recruiting skilled personnel, and sending them to power stations which are not performing up to par.
“The Engineering Council of South Africa has offered to give as much assistance as required by deploying engineers to work with the management teams at power stations.
“We have deep skills and expertise right here in South Africa – we just need to use them,” he said.
Adding capacity to the grid
President Ramaphosa announced that government will also be forging ahead with several measures to address the strain on the national power grid.
“In his Budget Speech, the Minister of Finance will outline how households will be assisted and how businesses will be able to benefit from a tax incentive.
“National Treasury is working on adjustments to the bounce-back loan scheme to help small businesses invest in solar equipment, and to allow banks and development finance institutions to borrow directly from the scheme to facilitate the leasing of solar panels to their customers,” he said.
Regulatory reforms related to private energy generation are already bearing fruit, with private projects expected to add some 9 000MW of energy over time.
Other sources of energy expected to add to the grid over time are:
- At least 2 800MW from projects under the renewable energy programme.
- Eskom procurement of emergency power that can be deployed within six months.
- Investing in new transmission lines and substations.
“All of these measures will result in a massive increase in power to the grid over the next 12 to 18 months and beyond.
“This power will be in line with our diverse mix of energy sources, including our current coal-fired power stations, solar, wind, gas, nuclear, hydro and battery storage,” he said.
Turning to Eskom’s pressing financial challenges, President Ramaphosa said government is prepared to assist the power utility to address some critical areas of concern.
“National Treasury is finalising a solution to Eskom’s R400 billion debt burden in a manner that is equitable and fair to all stakeholders, which will enable the utility to make necessary investments in maintenance and transmission.
“Government will support Eskom to secure additional funding to purchase diesel for the rest of the financial year. This should reduce the severity of load shedding, as Eskom will be able to use its diesel-run plants when the system is under strain,” he said.
Editor@tech-talk.co.za
by Tech Talk | Feb 1, 2023 | Articles
NTT Ltd. sued its former global chief executive officer Jason Goodall in the UK, alleging he had a secret financial interest in a Johannesburg deal that was meant to improve the Black Economic Empowerment rating of the telecoms company’s South African arm.
Goodall in 2019 approved the sale of NTT-owned Dimension Data Pty Ltd.’s sprawling headquarters in Johannesburg suburbs at “significantly less” value to a majority black women-owned fund, Identity Fund Managers Pty Ltd., in which he had either already invested or at least had a plan in place to invest, NTT alleged in the suit.
“Goodall and the other executives’ conduct in arranging and acquiring their interests in the Identity Fund and concealing and failing to disclose those interests amounts to gross misconduct involving dishonesty,” NTT’s lawyers said in the court filing.
Goodall didn’t respond to messages left for comment.
Identity Fund was unaware that there was a case taking place in the UK, it said in an emailed statement. The fund, however, denied any wrongdoing and said the allegations by Dimension Data in South Africa were based on hearsay and are “defamatory distortion.”
A spokesperson for NTT and Dimension Data confirmed that legal action was being taken in the UK and South Africa, declining to comment further.
Goodall’s “fraudulent misrepresentation” means he should repay the $17.6 million he received as part of his retirement package in 2021, argued NTT and Dimension Data.
On Jan. 18, the UK high court allowed NTT to serve Goodall the court documents, initiating the formalities for the case to proceed.
Dimension Data, South Africa’s biggest listed technology stock before a 2010 buyout by NTT, decided to sell its Johannesburg headquarters for the twin purpose of selling assets unrelated to its core business and improving its Black Economic Empowerment rating, according to NTT’s court filing.
These ratings are a core part of government policy to encourage the sale of assets to people disadvantaged during apartheid in Africa’s most industrialized nation.
The campus was bought by Identity Fund for 1.4 billion Rand ($81 million) in 2019. The deal is now in the early stages of being unwound, NTT’s lawyers said in the suit.
Dimension Data has separately sued other officials of the company for the alleged graft in South Africa.
Editor@tech-talk.co.za
by Tech Talk | Feb 1, 2023 | Articles
Suzuki will invest ¥4.5-trillion (R595-billion) this decade in research, development and capital spending to make battery electric vehicles (EVs).
The Japanese car maker known for making compact cars, said it would invest ¥2-trillion in electrification and autonomous driving technologies, while allocating ¥2.5-trillion to build a battery EV plant and for renewable energy facilities.
Of the money earmarked for electrification, ¥500-billion would be invested in batteries, it said.
Suzuki’s announcement comes after other Japanese car makers have rolled out similar goals to catch up with European and US rivals in the fast-growing battery EV market.
Mazda unveiled in November a R180-billion spending plan to electrify its vehicles.
Suzuki said it would introduce its first battery EVs, including small sport utility vehicles and micro “kei” cars, in Japan in the 2023 financial year. With cost-conscious customers in mind, company president Toshihiro Suzuki said he wanted to sell vehicles for around ¥1-million (R132 000).
Suzuki plans to introduce battery EVs in Europe and India, and its first battery electric motorcycles globally, the following year. The company is aiming to leverage its cooperation with car giant Toyota to capture a bigger share of India’s budding EV market, which is gaining momentum.
Suzuki plans to learn from Toyota how to use EV technology to make small electric cars, Suzuki said during a visit to India this month.
Still, Toshihiro Suzuki said on Thursday the car maker was not abandoning hybrid and internal combustion vehicle line-ups, pointing to a lack of charging infrastructure, high EV costs and concerns over limited battery resources.
For India, Suzuki’s key market, it predicted EVs would make up 15% of its vehicle line-up by 2030, while internal combustion engine cars using biofuels and ethanol as fuels would make up 60%.
“We will put in vehicles for various price ranges, for various people, for various regions,” Toshihiro Suzuki said. — Reuters
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