SPEECH BY THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF COMMUNICATIONS AND DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES ON THE OCCASION OF THE BUDGET VOTE 30 IN CAPE TOWN ON 11 JULY 2025.
House Chairperson,
Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies, Hon. Solly Malatsi,
Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Communications and Digital Technologies, Hon. Khusela Sangoni,
The Director General, Ms Nonkqubela Jordan-Dyani and the Leadership of the DCDT and Entities,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Molweni,
Over a year ago, we presented the Department’s efforts towards fulfilling the 7th Administration’s key priority programmes.
The department remains committed to fulfilling its mandate of enabling a connected and digitally transformed country, building on achievements and work done over the past 30 years of this democratic dispensation.
Hon. Chairperson, as we celebrate 70 years since the adoption of the Freedom Charter, a cornerstone document of our democratic Constitution that espouses the vision of a united, non-racial, non-sexist, democratic and prosperous South Africa we aim to harness the power of technology and telecommunications to transform our country to one that is economically inclusive and at the cutting edge of digital transformation.
In the President’s 2025 State of the Nation Address, His Excellency, Cyril Ramaphosa emphasised that,
“to create jobs, we must leverage our unique strengths and our unrealised potential to build the industries of the future – green manufacturing, renewable energy, electric vehicles and the digital economy.”
EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES AS TOOL FOR DEVELOPMENT
Hon. Chairperson, as we present this Budget Vote, we must first congratulate Telkom for their phenomenal performance for the year ended 31 March 2025.
Government as a 40.5% shareholder, received more than half a billion rand in dividends.
This is a critical showing of how public-private partnerships can be beneficial for the growth of the economy.
Congratulations, Telkom.
Hon. Members, Artificial Intelligence is one of the defining opportunities of our generation. Globally, AI is shaping economies, disrupting industries, and accelerating change at an unprecedented pace.
It is a field marked by intense global competition, rapid innovation, and profound implications for how societies are organised.
For South Africa, it holds the promise of transformation that is inclusive, empowering, and distinctly African.
That is why in this financial year, we will be finalising the National Artificial Intelligence Policy which will be submitted to Cabinet for approval and implementation will commence thereafter.
Hon. Chairperson, the acceleration of digital transformation across South Africa’s public and private sectors continues to bring unprecedented opportunities and increasing levels of cyber risks.
As we deepen our reliance on digital infrastructure for essential services, the resilience of our cyberspace becomes critical to national security, economic stability and societal well-being.
In the 2025/2026, the department through the Cybersecurity Hub, has set ambitious targets to develop a National Threat Platform and launch a National Awareness Portal, while continuing to mature the Cybersecurity Hub.
Hon. Chairperson, access to digital connectivity, affordable gadgets and lower data costs alone will not result in our desired outcomes of universal meaningful connectivity if they are not backed up by the requisite digital skills.
Our focus for the 2025/2026 financial year will include amongst others:
Training of 30 000 government employees in digital literacy, cybersecurity awareness and artificial intelligence fluency.
This will be done through strategic partnerships between the department, NEMISA, the National School of Government, DPSA and industry players like Microsoft, AWS and Google.
We will be embarking on curriculum interventions in partnership with DBE to drive wide scale delivery of digital literacy, coding and robotics for schools including the targeted training of teachers, prioritising rural schools.
We intend on training 12 000 SMMEs in digital entrepreneurship aimed at transforming formal and informal businesses to embrace e-commerce practices, digital marketing and online transactions.
Finally, an initial cohort of 2 000 beneficiaries will be trained in content creation and earning through content creation opportunities.
This is the space in which digital skills dovetail with creative media skills.
BUILDING A CAPABLE, ETHICAL AND DEVELOPMENTAL STATE: OUR ENTITIES
Hon. Chairperson, in our quest to build a capable, ethical and developmental state, we have been hard at work since 2023 to ensure that vacancies departmentally and within our entities are all filled with capable and ethical men and women.
I am happy to report that with the exception of SITA and SAPO, where recruitment processes are at an advanced stage, all our entities have fully constituted boards which are hard at work to fulfil their mandates.
- SAPO
As we pursue the business of rescuing SAPO, Hon. Chair, we are beginning to see flickers of light at the end of the tunnel.
Our faith in this national asset with unparalleled reach has yielded some positive developments which is why the 2025/2026 Corporate Plan outlines a forward looking vision, grounded in five strategic objectives aiming to:
- Improve Service Delivery;
- Diversify Revenue;
- Strengthen Governance;
- Forge Strategic Partnerships; and
- Manage a seamless transition out of business rescue. (Imminent)
Through these priorities, SAPO will become a central enabler of economic and digital inclusion in South Africa.
By leveraging its national footprint and strategic partnerships, SAPO aims to become a key channel for delivering government and commercial services to underserved areas, making it a cornerstone of inclusive economic and digital participation in South Africa.
We look forward to seeing SAPO thrive.
- POSTBANK
Hon. Members, we are proud of the significant progress Postbank has achieved in the past two years.
This includes successfully addressing the conditions in the South African Reserve Bank Variation Notice, transitioning from three consecutive years of disclaimer audit opinions to a qualified audit, and the appointment of a full complement of the executive and board members.
The bank has also maintained consistent and reliable customer service, particularly for its SASSA beneficiaries with no payment interruptions since the infamous technical glitch of September 2023.
These milestones position Postbank well on its path towards becoming a fully-fledged commercial state bank.
Postbank will continue investing in modernised technology and infrastructure to ensure it becomes a reliable provider of world class core banking solutions.
- FILM AND PUBLICATION BOARD
Hon. Members, as Nelson Mandela once said, “safety and security don’t just happen, they are the result of collective consensus and public investment. We owe our children, the most vulnerable citizens in our society, a life free of violence and fear.”
The Film and Publication Board achieved notable progress in regulating media content and protecting vulnerable populations.
The FPB analysed over 200 000 images which contained Child Sexual Abuse Material and through its interventions, some of the cases reported are now within the court system.
The newly launched WhatsApp Hotline and Channel saw the organisation resolving 33 out of 40 public complaints which included addressing issues like revenge porn within 60 days.
In the 2025/2026 financial year, FPB aims to strengthen its efforts in child protection and digital transformation.
It will continue partnering with law enforcement to prosecute CSAM cases and enhance its Online Safety Education and Awareness Programme with stakeholders like DBE and SAPS.
BETTER AFRICA, BETTER WORLD: DCDT ON INTERNATIONAL PLATFORMS
Hon. Chairperson, as we all know, this year South Africa holds the G20 Presidency.
The DCDT is currently leading the Task Force on Artificial Intelligence, Data Governance and Innovation for Sustainable Development.
This Task Force will take forward key deliverables such as the Technology Policy Assistance Facility which will serve as a knowledge-sharing and support mechanism for G20 countries, particularly those in the Global South- fast-moving developments in AI policy, ethics, and regulation.
Another deliverable will be that the AI for Africa Initiative will organise an AI for Africa Conference aimed at showcasing the transformative AI initiatives from all 54 countries.
In conclusion, Hon. Chairperson, we will continue participating on other regional and international forums like SADC, BRICS, the UN, the AU and critically the African Telecommunications Union, where South Africa is fielding a candidate in the name of Ms Cynthia Lesufi for the Secretary General position for the 2026 – 2030 term.
This body is critical for the development of telecommunications and ICTs in Africa in order to achieve digital economies.
By contributing to AU-led processes on data policy, cybersecurity, connectivity, and digital skills, South Africa promotes regional harmonisation, cross-border collaboration and a unified African digital voice in global negotiations.
I thank you, House Chairperson.
Download Document here: Deputy Minister Gungubele’s 2025 Budget Vote Speech