Ministers Siviwe Gwarube and Solly Malatsi hand over smart tablets to Glenvista Primary School, 31 Jul

The Minister of Basic Education, Ms Siviwe Gwarube, and the Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies, Mr Solly Malatsi, will on 31 July 2025 undertake a joint handover of smart learning tablets to learners at Glenvista Primary School in Johannesburg.

The smart tablets, donated by private sector partners, form part of government’s broader efforts to improve school connectivity, digital literacy, and access to coding and robotics education in the basic education sector. This partnership reflects a critical pillar of the 7th Administration’s approach of leveraging strategic collaboration with the private sector to bridge the digital divide, especially in the context of constrained government finances.

Government believes that the digital transition should be anchored in the principle that no learner, regardless of geography or income, should be left behind in the digital era. However, infrastructure gaps, limited connectivity, and resource constraints continue to pose significant challenges. This is why both ministries, under the Government of National Unity, are working together to unlock private capital, technical expertise, and digital infrastructure solutions through targeted public-private partnerships.

This handover is a practical step toward equipping learners with 21st-century skills, fostering early exposure to technology, and preparing them to thrive in a fast-changing economy. The Ministers will also use the opportunity to engage school leadership and learners on the importance of responsible digital citizenship, the safe use of technology, and how digital learning can support foundational literacy and numeracy outcomes.

Members of the Media are invited to attend and will be offered interview opportunities as follows:

Date: Thursday 31 July 2025
Time: 09:00
Venue: Glenvista Primary School, 41 Stegman Rd, Glenvista, Johannesburg South

Media enquiries:

Elijah Mhlanga: Head of Communication
Cell:  083 580 8275

Lukhanyo Vangqa: Media Liaison Officer 
Cell: 066 302 1533

Terence Khala: Media Relations Officer 
Cell: 081 758 1546

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