Walter Sisulu University (WSU) Public Relations Management lecturer, Nelson Nciweni, discussed his research on the digital divide at an international conference held at the Central University of Technology in Bloemfontein recently.
Nciweni outlined that the technologies are available for citizens, but they are not active users of it, and this was highly influenced by the digital divide – a result of the socio-economic status people live under as individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds, characterised by lower income levels and limited resources, encountering significant challenges in accessing and utilising digital technologies.
In the paper he presented at the conference titled, “Addressing the Digital Divide in South Africa: Promoting Access and Inclusion through Technological Innovations”, he raises three issues being key factors creating the divide between communities and their leaders, being the geographical location, their socio-economic status and gender inequality.
Nciweni said,
Nciweni outlines that there is a gap, local municipalities wanting to communicate with citizens in rural areas seek to use online platforms such as Microsoft Teams or Zoom, but circumstances like the geographical location of rural areas make it is impossible for them to constantly communicate and have meetings with leaders of municipalities.
The main point he seeks to emphasise is that the communication barrier between leaders and their communities is the digital divide.
Nciweni said,
Nciweni has made it his mission to better society, not just through disseminating information to students he teaches, but also by deciding to initiate the path of engaging in research on matters holding back society from development.
