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Sello Mmakau Chief Digital Officer, Telkom Group

The Telkom Group’s mission statement is to play a decisive role in advancing Africa’s digital transformation aspirations – but to do so with sustainability, scalability, and strategy at the forefront.

Telkom Executives used the 27th annual 2025 Southern Africa Telecommunications Networks and Applications Conference (SATNAC), hosted in Hermanus in November last year, as an opportunity to reiterate the company’s readiness to help connect- and future-proof the continent.

Telkom Group Chief Digital Officer, Mr. Sello Mmakau said he was optimistic about Africa’s digital growth and its progress but warned that much depends on the continent’s ability to address several ongoing challenges.

These challenges include reliable power supply, connectivity, digital literacy, skills, training and vandalism of existing telecommunications infrastructure.

These are significant barriers to the growth of digital transformation said Mmakau, who emphasised just how impactful these challenges can be in the context of South Africa- and Africa’s digital prowess.

“You can have the best tech in the world, but if you haven’t addressed the issue around electricity and power, you have a big problem,” he said.

Digital literacy and the all-too-familiar issue of a glaring digital divide continue to raise the stakes for stakeholders within the ICT and telecommunications ecosystem, most notably industry frontrunners like Telkom.

The company stresses that while digital inclusivity and equality are essential, there must be a focus on empowering people with affordable connection to the internet, with access to more widespread connectivity, and addressing the current skills and employment conundrum.

As Mmakau explained, Africa – and South Africa specifically, cannot rely on traditional approaches to training, certification, qualification and introduction into the job market.

Telkom continues to back Africa’s determination to secure its seat at the global digital table.

Mr. Serame Taukobong, Group CEO at Telkom SA, reiterated what Telkom believes is Africa’s digital blueprint for sustainable growth, including: universal, affordable, and secure broadband to connect everyone; build digital skills to empower youth with the tools of tomorrow; ensure human-centric AI; and create open infrastructure or platforms that enable innovation and inclusion.

AI is Africa’s next great leap said Taukobong, adding that the technology is transforming every industry and the continent has the creativity and talent to lead. “AI must drive inclusive and sustainable growth,” he said.

Telkom’s stance is that AI must be human-centric, it must be technology with a purpose.

“AI must be ethical, transparent, and inclusive. It should amplify human potential, not replace it and human values must guide innovation,”

According to Taukobong, AI - and especially LLMs, are reshaping every industry, economy, and every profession. “Beneath the hype and all the tools, lies a simple truth – AI is not about technology, it’s about we empower and uplift people. The world is determined to remind Africa of its lack, of infrastructure, of funding, of data and of skills, but the AI era reveals that Africa’s greatest resource is resilience, its people… we are the most determined to leapfrog, to innovate and to build.”

Telkom is an enabler of connection, of progress said Taukobong. “Our infrastructure does more than enable business, it enables nations. Africa does not just participate in technology revolutions, we accelerate them.”

http://group.telkom.co.za