Walter Isaacson makes interesting observations about innovation in his book The Innovators: How a Group of Hackers, Geniuses and Geeks Created the Digital Revolution.
“But the main lesson to draw from the birth of computers is that innovation is usually a group effort, involving collaboration between visionaries and engineers and that creativity comes from drawing on many sources,” writes Isaacson.
He adds: “Only in storybooks do inventions come like a thunderbolt, or a lightbulb popping out of the head of a lone individual in a basement or garret or garage.”
Why invoke Isaacson’s words? Simply because South Africa’s recent celebration of “affordable smartphones”, while commendable, misses a critical point: true innovation requires more than just mobile devices, writes Gugu Lourie.
Lourie writing in the Sunday Times stated that true innovation demands access to powerful tools such as laptops and computers, which remain out of reach for most South Africans.
The jubilation following finance minister Enoch Godongwana’s announcement to exempt smartphones priced at R2,500 or less from the 9% ad valorem excise duty was understandable.
Smartphones democratise access to technology. Computers empower skilled users to create technology.
Without affordable laptops, South Africa risks remaining a consumer of technology rather than a creator.
Without Smart Devices, Digital Inclusion Is An illusion 2025-03-16No Comments2 Mins Read Share Solly Malatsi Share
The single most powerful way to empower tens of millions of South Africans quickly is to drive down the cost of smart devices and get cheap, reliable broadband into their hands.
The ability to participate in e-commerce, remote work, online education and digital financial services creates a world of opportunity currently closed to the poor and unemployed, writes Solly Malatsi.
Malatsi, minister of communications & digital technologies, writing in the Sunday Times stated that it was his mission to change that by opening wide a path to a digital future for every South African, from the most remote rural area to every city in the country.
A village-based young entrepreneur with a game-changing idea but no way to access global markets remains invisible,.
An unemployed graduate without access to the internet who cannot apply for opportunities online is stuck in stuck in perpetual unemployment.
A student without a mobile device is cut off from the wealth and advantages of digital learning. This is not just a digital divide — it is an economic barrier that perpetuates inequality.