WeeklySA_AdminINCLUSION: South Africa leads Africa in Artificial Intelligence (AI) adoption, yet millions remain excluded from the digital economy because they lack something far more basic as access to computers. Tech corporate executive Barbara Cawcutt argues that, unless foundational digital literacy becomes a national priority, AI risks widening rather than narrowing inequality…
By Barbara Cawcutt
South Africa is increasingly being recognised as one of Africa’s leaders in artificial intelligence. Microsoft’s Global AI Diffusion Report ranks the country 46th out of 147 economies, ahead of every other African nation measured, while almost a quarter of the working-age population now uses generative AI.
These are encouraging signs of technological progress. But they also mask a more uncomfortable reality.
For millions of South Africans, the AI revolution is taking place in a world they cannot fully access because they still lack the most basic digital tools and skills.
Only 16% of adults own a computer. The latest available ITU figures show that just 26% of households have a computer at home. For many families, owning a laptop remains financially out of reach.
The reason is simple. According to Statistics South Africa, the country’s median monthly wage is R5 417, while an entry-level laptop costs upwards of R6 000. For roughly half the workforce, purchasing a computer costs more than an entire month’s income.
That single statistic explains why digital exclusion remains one of South Africa’s most significant development challenges.
The digital divide today is no longer defined simply by internet access. It is increasingly defined by capability.
South Africa has made impressive gains in connectivity. ICASA reports that more than 82% of households now have internet access from some location, largely through mobile devices.
But being connected is not the same as being digitally empowered.
A smartphone allows someone to send messages, browse social media or watch videos. It does not automatically equip them to prepare a CV, complete an online job application, analyse data on a spreadsheet, attend virtual lectures, access government services or use AI tools productively.
These are the skills that increasingly determine access to education, employment and economic opportunity.
Without them, internet access alone changes very little. The roots of this problem begin long before young people enter universities or workplaces.
According to the Department of Basic Education’s 2025 Education Facility Management System, fewer than half of South Africa’s public schools have a computer centre. More than 11 000 schools still lack one altogether, while fewer than one in 10 mathematics educators has access to a computer in the classroom.
For countless learners, a computer remains unfamiliar until they arrive at a tertiary institution or their first job.
By then, they are already trying to catch up.
This is why foundational computer literacy matters as much today as reading, writing and numeracy. Knowing how to use a keyboard and mouse, manage files, navigate software, browse safely online and work confidently on a laptop are no longer optional skills. They are the gateway to higher education, meaningful employment and participation in an economy increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence.
Without these foundations, AI becomes another force that reinforces inequality instead of reducing it. The challenge extends beyond access to technology. Awareness itself remains limited.
Research by the Human Sciences Research Council found that 73% of South Africans have little or no understanding of what artificial intelligence is. While businesses accelerate AI adoption and governments promote digital transformation, much of the population remains disconnected from the conversation altogether.
This creates a dangerous divergence.
AI capability is accelerating, while digital literacy remains stubbornly low.
Unless South Africa closes that gap, technological progress will benefit only those who already possess the tools, education and digital confidence to participate.
Tertiary institutions have an important role to play by embedding foundational digital literacy into every student’s learning journey. Employers, policymakers and education authorities must do the same by treating basic computer literacy as an essential life skill rather than a specialist qualification. Artificial intelligence will undoubtedly reshape how South Africans learn, work and interact with public services.
But before we ask how to prepare people for AI, we must first ensure they can confidently use the computers that make participation possible.
Otherwise, South Africa risks building an AI-powered future that millions of its citizens are simply unable to enter.
Barbara Cawcutt is Group General Manager at ICB
