Development

South Africa's higher learning institutions must up their game and increase the number of educational programmes that prepare students for the fourth industrial revolution (4IR) era.

So says Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) minister Naledi Pandor, noting that only 11 South African universities offer course modules in 4IR and related fields of artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics.

"If we intend to take full advantage of 4IR, all our universities and colleges should be offering such courses," she says.

The South African government is developing curricula for coding and robotics for grades R to 9.

So said minister of basic education Angie Motshekga. "To create a sustainable industrialisation and keep pace with the world, South Africa is developing coding as well as robotics curricula to be included in GET [general education and training] from Grade R-9," said Motshekga.

She said the curricula will provide learners with an understanding of coding and robotics, and will develop their skills and competencies to prepare them for the fourth industrial revolution.

South Africa’s Public Benefit Organisations (PBOs) do invaluable work uplifting communities and benefiting underprivileged people across our country. Sadly, most of these entities do not have the resources to ensure that they are fully tax compliant.

However, the tax status of a SARS approved Public Benefit Organisation (PBO) is crucial to its ability to raise funds and attract donors, who along with wanting to be philanthropic, are attracted by the tax deductions that come with donations to such organisations.