The Digital Skills for the Future Summit was held at the Holiday Inn Johannesburg Hotel in Boksburg, Gauteng from 21 to 23 September 2026, bringing together education stakeholders to strengthen the foundation for digital skills development in South Africa.
Held under the theme, “Establishing the Curriculum-Grounded Foundation for Digital Skills in South Africa,” the Summit provided a platform for curriculum specialists, teachers, subject advisors, provincial officials, teacher unions, universities and partners to collectively examine how digital skills could be meaningfully embedded within the education system.
The first day established a shared strategic and pedagogical understanding of digital skills development. Director-General of the Department of Basic Education, Mr Mathanzima Mweli, addressed delegates and emphasised that South Africa’s digital future required more than providing learners with access to devices and technology. He highlighted the importance of developing learners who could think computationally, solve unfamiliar problems, analyse information, design solutions and engage responsibly with emerging technologies, including Artificial Intelligence (AI). He stressed that the key challenge lay in implementation, which required stronger teacher capacity, system capacity, curriculum coherence and meaningful classroom practice. DG Mweli further outlined the role of subjects including Coding and Robotics, Digital Technology, Computer Applications Technology and Information Technology in creating a coherent national pathway for digital and computational skills development.
A key focus of the Summit was the responsible integration of AI into education. Dr Thamie Ndlovu from the North-West University challenged delegates to consider not only whether learners could use AI, but whether they could continue to think critically, exercise judgement and take responsibility for their decisions when using AI.
A panel discussion on “Operationalising Computational Thinking” explored how computational and design thinking could become foundational across the education system. Panellists discussed policy, system leadership, teacher development, equity and the importance of ensuring that computational and design thinking was developed across subjects rather than being confined to computer related subjects.
The Summit’s five breakaway sessions provided an opportunity for Higher Education Institutions, partners, stakeholders, provincial subject specialists, advisors and teachers to interrogate implementation challenges and identify priorities. These focused on foundational digital skills, Computer Applications Technology, Information Technology, eLearning and ICT infrastructure and system support, as well as AI and Digital Skills. The sessions were discussion-led and examined pedagogical and assessment approaches within the CAPS digital subjects.
The Summit concluded with a national synthesis and adoption of the Summit Declaration, endorsing the outcomes ahead of formal ratification. The central message of the Summit was that South Africa’s digital future would not be secured by access to technology alone, but by ensuring that every learner developed the knowledge, skills, judgement and adaptability needed to contribute meaningfully to the Fourth Industrial Revolution economy and society.