Technology can help solve the world’s most pressing problems. In every corner of the world, digital economy is helping us become more connected to each other and the organisations upon which we rely.
The Cisco Global Digital Readiness provides insight into how nations have moved forward on their digital journey. The research looks at 141 countries, the categories for these insights are, Basic needs, Human capital, ease of doing business, Business and Government investment, start-up environment, technology infrastructure and technology adoption.
South Africa as a country scored 11,39% , and was placed at a low stage of acceleration. With technology adoption and the startup environment sitting at a 1,18% and 1,96% respectively. Meanwhile, government and business investment sit at 1,06%.
Cisco announced the release of its Global Digital Readiness Index, research measuring the digital readiness of 141 countries across seven components.
This research helps to uncover key insights and build our understanding on what it means for a country to be digitally ready and the positive impact the digital economy can provide. It also outlines possible opportunities to advance readiness.
“Technology has the potential to be the single greatest catalyst for economic and social progress,” says Tae Yoo, senior vice-president of corporate affairs at Cisco. “In every corner of the world, digital technology is helping us become more connected to each other and the organizations upon which we rely. It opens markets, creates jobs, and better connects citizens and customers.
“Our hope is that through Cisco’s Global Digital Readiness Index, we can partner with private and public sectors to evaluate how investments in the basic underpinnings of a digital society can serve to raise the quality of life for all citizens around the world.”
Key findings and rankings from the Cisco Global Digital Readiness Index include:
- Of the top-10 largest economies in the world by total GDP, only the US ranked in the top-10 for Digital Readiness at #3. However, readiness varies across the country which is also true for many countries.
- Singapore took the top ranking with strong performance in all seven components, including the top score in Human Capital and Business and Government Investment.
- Denmark, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Iceland, and Singapore are the top-five countries for Technology Infrastructure.
- The US, Canada, Luxembourg, Singapore, and the United Arab Emirates are the top-five countries for Technology Adoption.
- Japan, Singapore, Spain, Switzerland, and Iceland are the top-five countries for Basic Needs.
- Singapore, Iceland, New Zealand, Switzerland, and Kazakhstan are the top-five countries for Human Capital.
- Luxembourg ranked the highest in Europe at number two overall, Israel ranked the highest in the Middle East at number 21, and Botswana ranked the highest on mainland Africa at number 76.
- Singapore ranked the highest in Southeast Asia at number one, South Korea ranked the highest in East Asia at number eight, and Australia ranked the highest in Asia-Pacific at number 12.
- The US took the top ranking for North America at number three, Chile took the top spot for South America at number 34, and Costa Rica took the top spot for Central America at number 47.
It may be intuitive that technology infrastructure and adoption are strong indicators of a country’s digital readiness, but our research shows that technology alone is not the answer.
Developing skills, ensuring basic human needs are met, creating a business friendly and start-up environment, and making private and public investments in innovation and technology will aid countries in their digital future.
On these measures, there a is wide spread of how nations are ready.
- The strongest components of digital readiness include: “Basic Needs,” “Human Capital,” and “Technology Infrastructure.” In general, improvements in these three components will have the most impact overall on a country’s level of digital readiness.
- Human Capital is critical across every stage of digital readiness to build a workforce capable of utilizing and creating technology, and developing new skills in emerging fields.
- There is strong correlation between countries’ digital readiness scores and other performance indicators. For example, the higher a country’s digital readiness score, the higher its GDP per capita.
Three stages of digital readiness emerged based on the findings: Activate, the lowest stage of digital readiness; Accelerate, the middle stage; and Amplify, the highest stage of digital readiness.
The factors that impact a country’s digital readiness differ depending on which of the three stages it falls. For example, those countries in the Activate stage would primarily benefit from improvements in Basic Needs and Human Capital development.
The report showed that while countries in the Amplify stage lead in digital readiness, there is still plenty of room for advancement. These Amplify countries universally scored well for Basic Needs, including access to safe drinking water and electricity, and Ease of Doing Business, but they need to continue investing in these components to retain their position. However significant variation in terms of Business and Government Investment was identified, with many countries in a position to benefit from improvement in this area.
The report also showed that all countries could benefit from additional investment in Technology Infrastructure, such as access to broadband, secure internet servers, and more.
“At Cisco, we believe it is important to contribute research to help the continuing dialogue on technology’s future impact,” Yoo adds. “We hope to serve in partnership to bridge the digital divide and fostering a more inclusive future where all citizens can participate and thrive.”