​Rofhiwa Tshitahe-Marubini
With the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) transforming industries, the Department of e-Government will use its R1.6 billion budget to implement the Provincial Digital Ecosystem.
The ecosystem includes modernisation of the provincial ICT infrastructure to provide connectivity to the residents, provision of a digital platform, e-services, industry stimulation and ICT skills development. 
MEC for Finance and e-Government MEC Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko said skills constraint and ICT skills development remains at the centre of the attainment of the benefits of the 4IR.
"Skills associated with the current set of emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence, blockchain, automation, data science and programming were found to be scarce. 
"This is detrimental to the country having the required skills to fully take advantage of prospects brought about by 4IR," said Nkomo-Ralehoko as she tabled the department's 2022/23 financial year Budget Vote on Monday, 23 May 2022. 
To address this, the department has partnered with various organisations for skills programmes that empower and create jobs, especially for youth.
The partnership with Hauwei, Siyafunda, an ICT NGO and Microsoft has provided an ICT Skills Training programme for youth while the partnership with Microsoft also saw the launch of the Centre for Excellence to drive digital innovation and accelerate skills development. 
"Through our ICT Training Programs, we have trained over 15 000 young people. We have several initiatives, such as the #DigitalSistaz to ensure that we accelerate the development of ICT skills," said the MEC. 
In the 2022/23 financial year, the department will take the lead in the implementation of the Gauteng 4IR and e-Waste Strategy which are set to unlock economic opportunities in the collection, dismantling and processing of e-waste for women, youth and people with disabilities. 
The department will also roll out phase three of the Gauteng Broadband Network (GBN) which will see 888 sites provided with a Wide Area Network (WAN).  
Local Area Network (LAN) connectivity will be rolled out to 118 sites and 45 Wi-fi hotspots will be provided with high-speed internet access. 
Nkomo-Ralehoko said the provincial government aims to deliver a consolidated service delivery and access channel to deliver ICT-enabled services for citizens, businesses and government.
In collaboration with institutions of higher learning, Gauteng will implement the Gauteng ICT Skills Development Strategy to provide training to youth and government employees. 
This will ensure that Township-based ICT entrepreneurs are supported, and that staff is fully capable of utilizing the existing technology more efficiently. 
A total of 6000 GPG staff will be trained on an online platform, and bursaries will be made available to 60 beneficiaries.
A total of 10 000 youth will also benefit from the ICT skills development programme (Action Lab Programme) and 150 from ICT experiential learning.