COUNTRY FOCUS
Reasons for digital divide in South Africa and Kenya
The Global Information Technology Report 2016 measures adoption benefits of ICT and reveals the strengths and weaknesses of South Africa and Kenya . Excerpts of the key findings .
Governments of sub-Sahara African countries are seen to be falling behind in terms of using digital technologies efficiently for social impact .
The Fourth Industrial Revolution represents a transition to a new set of systems that bring together digital , biological , physical technologies in new and powerful combinations . Just as the digital revolution was built on the heart of the second industrial revolution , the new systems that mark the Fourth Industrial Revolution are being built on the infrastructure of the third , digital revolution .
The Global Information Technology Report 2016 features the latest iteration of the Networked Readiness Index , which represents a key tool in assessing country preparedness to reap the benefits of emerging technologies and capitalise on the opportunities presented by the digital transformation and beyond . The annual report assesses factors , policies , institutions that enable a country to fully leverage information and communication technologies for increased prosperity .
Countries in the report are assessed over four categories of indicators :
• Overall political , regulatory , business , innovation environment for technology use and creation
• Networked readiness in terms of ICT infrastructure , affordability , skills
• Technology adoption by the three stakeholders , government , private sector , individuals
• Economic and social impact of new technologies
In the case of North Africa , sub-Saharan Africa , Middle East , Pakistan , as a bloc , top countries are improving their performance at the same time that the performance of the worst-scoring countries is deteriorating . Affordability remains a barrier to ICT adoption and use in sub-Saharan Africa , and this barrier seems to be growing . ICT affordability is also the only area where advanced economies as a whole are not the bestperforming group .
The advanced economies are preceded in this regard by the group of Eurasian countries , and Pakistan is the market with the lowest price points . Sub-Saharan Africa is at this moment still the lowestscoring region , with the notable exception of the perceived political and regulatory environment , where the region follows advanced economies and North Africa , Middle East and Pakistan , and precedes Emerging and Developing Asia , Emerging and Developing Europe , Eurasia , and Latin America and the Caribbean .
Key findings over last five years Patents cannot measure digital innovation For technologically advanced countries , patent trends are more closely matched to perceived innovation trends , yet in some sectors there is a divergence between the two . Patenting is slowing ,
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