Digital Economy

Digital Economy

Digital technologies connect businesses and individuals in remote areas to global markets, enabling them to participate in the digital economy and access new customers, suppliers, and partners. The Eastern Cape is connected to global undersea cables linking the province to global communications network. The digital technologies support the development of new industries and services, such as e-commerce, digital content creation, and data analytics, which drive economic growth and create jobs. Additional investment opportunities across widening broadband infrastructure exist in the province that will enhance participation of businesses in the digital economy.

The identified value chain opportunities for Digital Economy are(not limited to):

    • Electronics and components for a range of technologies including phones and tablets
    • Sensors and telematics which includes lidar, smart metres for water and electricity
    • Satellites and drone components to provide input to the growing demand for earth observation data and satellite use cases as well as the rapidly evolving drone industry
    • Automation (computerised equipment, Batch processing)
    • Cybersecurity: The protection of digital systems and networks from unauthorized access
    • or attack.
    • Cloud computing: The delivery of computing services, including storage, databases, networking, and software, over the internet.
    • Data cleaning, labelling and learning systems
    • Internet of Things (interconnectedness of physical devices, vehicles, buildings, and
    • other objects embedded with sensors and software
    • E-commerce: The buying and selling of goods and services through the internet