Talking Tech for Good powered by the Bertha Centre for Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship‪.‬ Bertha Centre for Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship

It’s easy to forget that technology is only useful when it is implemented and implemented well. And this really is about people and how they interact with and embrace change. In the development sector, this includes people working on the ground, beneficiaries and funders and an understanding of how all these role-players interact is crucial.

In this fourth episode podcast hosts, Luvuyo Maseko and Jason Bygate host a provocative conversation about the adoption of technology in organisations and the change that is required to do so successfully. In a space where scarcity is often an issue - of funds, of time, of manpower - things like ‘failing forward’ and an iterative and collaborative design process are often overlooked or adoption is ignored altogether. The world is changing and has already changed and the development sector needs to adapt too.

Luvuyo and Jason engage with Melvina Phillips from the Raymond Ackerman Academy of Entrepreneurial Development and Abigail Sellman from ideas42 about adoption and change management in the development sector and we hear interesting insights from people who are doing this work every day. Don’t forget to check out the Talking Tech for Good resource centre for more helpful tools and resources.

The links you need to know about:
Talking Tech for Good resource centre - http://techtalk.org.za/

Capacitate - capacitate.co.za

BC website - https://www.gsb.uct.ac.za/berthacentre

https://www.emeraldgrouppublishing.com/news-and-press-releases/evolving-digital-divide-first-third-level

https://www.ideas42.org/

https://www.ackermanacademy.co.za/

Resistance to new ideas and technology is nothing new. Adoption of technology is a multi-faceted and complex issue, especially in a diverse landscape such as South Africa. How can organisations in the development space embrace change and what are the factors that need to be front of mind when doing so?

In this episode of the Talking Tech for Good podcast, Luvuyo Maseko and Jason Bygate host a conversation with Melvina Phillips from the Raymond Ackerman Academy of Entrepreneurial Development and Abigail Sellman from ideas42 about adoption and change management in the development sector. You don’t want to miss this one.

Subscribe to this podcast channel so you don’t miss out on the full episode.

In South Africa where data is amongst the most expensive in the world - how viable is it to use digital solutions in the development space when most often this is a barrier that beneficiaries will need to overcome? Why is data so expensive in South Africa? What is happening in this space and how are things like zero-rated sites helping to improve accessibility in the country?

In this third episode podcast hosts, Luvuyo Maseko and Jason Bygate delve into some of the complexities surrounding connectivity and access in South Africa. They are joined by Pieter Holloway who runs a skills centre in the rural town of McGregor in the Western Cape. Pieter shares some of the greatest challenges youth in communities like McGregor face in terms of access and connectivity. How do we make sure that we don’t leave these young people behind? How do we challenge service providers to make data more affordable and how do we support young people in making the most of the opportunities found online once they have access.

Jason and Luvuyo also spend some time answering questions from listeners and organisations on the topic of connectivity and access. If you have any questions or topics you would like us to address in upcoming episodes, we’d love to hear from you. You are welcome to send your questions via WhatsApp voice note to our production partners at The Stellar Effect on 081 709 4049. Don’t forget to check out the Talking Tech for Good resource centre for more helpful tools and resources.

The links you need to know about:
Talking Tech for Good resource centre - http://techtalk.org.za/

Capacitate - capacitate.co.za

BC website - https://www.gsb.uct.ac.za/berthacentre

https://www.timeslive.co.za/news/south-africa/2019-12-03-south-africans-pay-more-for-data-and-operators-can-change-that-competition-commission/

Perhaps one of the most key issues facing South Africa in this digital era - connectivity. Technology has been called an equalizer but is this true in a country with some of the highest data costs in the world?

In this episode podcast hosts, Luvuyo Maseko and Jason Bygate interrogate the issues surrounding connectivity and access. Joining this conversation is Pieter Holloway who runs a skills centre in McGregor, a rural community in the Western Cape. How do high data costs impact us? Is getting online really all there is to accessibility and do young people in South Africa know how to maximise on the opportunities found in the digital space?

Subscribe to this podcast channel so you don’t miss out on the full episode.

In this cross-over between the Civic Tech in Africa podcast and the Talking Tech for Good podcast, co-hosts Jason Bygate (of Capacitate) and guest Munyaradzi Dodo (of Magamba Network) discuss how young people can have their voices better heard in the corridors of power. Munyaradzi shares the journey he undertook with his team to establish Open Parly ZW, an initiative to promote a new generation of young citizen journalists, and the influence it had on other young people outside of Zimbabwe. He talks about the challenges and opportunities that come with upscaling an initiative such as Open Parly and also delves into why #DIYAfrica is such an important concept for young people in Africa.

Special thanks to Civic Tech Innovation Network (CTIN) team and VOW.fm, who handled the recording of this bonus episode.

To find out more about the ‘Talking Tech for Good’ podcast visit www.techtalk.org.za

Don’t forget to join the Civic Tech Initiative and the Bertha Centre for Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship at the session on ‘African #DIY Civic Tech Approaches’ on the 15th September 2021, at 15:00 (CAT).

This year, the Civic Tech Innovation Forum and Jamfest conferences invite African civic tech innovators, media innovators and stakeholders to connect around the ways in which digital innovators, innovations, initiatives and their support structures are playing out across our continent in the spaces of journalism, media, civic activism and public services - particularly in this pandemic era. The theme is DIYAfrica, focusing on how we can co-create meaning, identity and solutions for Africa.

The conference will be hosted on event hosting application Whova. (Download Whova to join this week-long conference.)

Learn more about this event and register here: www.civictech.africa

You’ve identified that you need to implement eLearning at your organisation but where do you start with finding the right platform for your needs? Do you choose something that is already built or do you go for something custom designed? What about budget and testing the platform? How do you know your eLearning intervention is working? These are all very real considerations and there is no one size fits all approach, which can make this all the more challenging to navigate.

In this second episode of the Talking Tech for Good podcast, Luvuyo Maseko and Jason Bygate, delve into this topic in more detail. Luvuyo and Jason are joined by Simone Peinke from Jobstarter and Regan Jules-Macquet from Nicro - two social benefit organisations that have implemented eLearing more extensively in the last year or so and have some great insights and knowledge to share. Whether you are in the early stages of this venture or perhaps a little further down the road - there is something for you.

Jason and Luvuyo also spend some time answering questions from listeners and organisations on the topic of eLearning platforms. If you have any questions or topics you would like us to address in upcoming episodes, we’d love to hear from you. You are welcome to send your questions via whatsapp voice note to our production partners at The Stellar Effect on 081 709 4049.

The links you need to know about:

Talking Tech for Good resource centre - http://techtalk.org.za/

Capacitate - capacitate.co.za

BC website - https://www.gsb.uct.ac.za/berthacentre

NICRO: https://www.nicro.org.za/

Jobstarter: https://jobstarter.org.za/