The Eastern Cape must put use technology for the economic development of the province, said deputy minister of science and technology Buyelwa Sonjica at a recent technology imbizo held in Port Elizabeth, Eastern Cape.

The aim of the imbizo was to identify the technological barriers to growth and development which would allow government to establish priorities and deal with them in a coherent and holistic manner.

The imbizo, organised by the Department of Science and Technology, aimed to bring regional stakeholders together in an effort to understand the social and economic environment of the province.

“A study recently ranked South Africa 39th out of a total of 162 countries in terms of technology achievement. We are seen as dynamic technology adopters but we are not adequately addressing issues such as development, human development, and this has set us back in 94th position. We are not putting technology to work for the broader population,” she said.

She went on to say that a recent survey on innovation in SA which posed the question “Is SA a technology colony?” showed the country to be highly dependent on foreign technology for new production.

Sectors which showed low levels of innovation were textiles, clothing, and leather and footwear sectors. However, high levels of innovation were found in the wood, paper, and transport equipment, electrical and publishing sectors.

Sonjica, who is originally from the Eastern Province, said the survey revealed that SMMEs in SA had the highest rate of failure. Consequently more support needs to be channelled towards SMMEs and their development.