Born and bred in Cape Town, this passionate and ambitious IT specialist found her purpose in bridging the digital divide in Cape Town by improving the digital literacy levels of disadvantaged residents. Zanele has made great progress in an area that must enable residents to adapt and thrive in a society driven by digital communication and digital platforms to access employment, and entrepreneurial and training opportunities.

‘Zanele has done brilliantly in promoting the City’s Digital Literacy pilot project. This programme is expanding into what will be known as the SmartCape Cadets where 80 young people will be trained and certified in basic literacy and facilitation, and will be stationed at the SmartCape kiosks at local libraries. Her success can be attributed to the quality of a woman she is and the values she bestows on her roles. She leads with her heart on her sleeve and with a deep conviction to make a difference in the lives of those she encounters. Her servant hearted character and work ethic is that of a true leader. I salute her for remaining authentic and driven and I am looking forward to witnessing her flourishing career at the City,’ said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Corporate Services, Councilor Sharon Cottle.

While rolling out the pilot project the City found that a vast majority of trainees are women and the main reasons for their attendance is to be able to apply for jobs; equip themselves to run their business administration; and to build the confidence to assist their children with homework.

Zanele embarked on her academic journey at the University of Western Cape (UWC), where she completed her Master’s Degree in Human Ecology specialising in Community Development. Her career at the City started in 2008 when she was appointed as content researcher for the SmartCape website.

Prior to joining the City, Zanele worked as a researcher and field worker at the UWC Institute of Counselling where she consulted and trained data capturers to use a statistics software. This is where her natural ability to train and educate came to life.

‘I was completing an internship in 2005 within the City’s Human Settlements Department. At the time, I was required to do door-to-door visits in the informal areas throughout the city to engage with the residents. Through those encounters I learnt just how uninformed our residents were, pertaining to all areas of life in modern society and it occurred to me that the City did not have a platform to engage with them. I felt so frustrated that I couldn’t help them. It was this realisation and experience which encouraged me to do my Masters in Community Development full time. This was a huge leap of faith which definitely paid off,’ said Zanele Matshotyana, the Project Coordinator for the City’s Digital Literacy programme.

While studying, a position for a Content Researcher position opened at the City. Zanele applied and was successful. This job required her to visit communities to find out what City information the residents need to access on the SmartCape website.

‘This truly felt like a full circle moment for me, which confirmed that I had chosen the path that was most unique to me. I followed my heart and so all of the pieces were aligning as it should. Through this role I was able to visit small businesses and NGOs and I wrote articles which gave them exposure. The SmartCape website then became the platform I had envisioned while I was still only a City-intern to inform residents about different issues using local content,’ said Matshotyana.

The roll-out of SmartCape was running smoothly, but Zanele realised that although the City had placed SmartCape computers in the City libraries for community use, many people still couldn’t use the technology. In some cases, even those who were using the technology for social media purposes could not type or use the technology to their advantage.

‘Here we are talking about the fourth industrial revolution, the Internet of Things, Artificial Intelligence, and so forth, but the majority of Capetonians have never touched a computer before. I had a strong conviction about this harsh reality and felt that the City should make a start at closing this digital divide by going out into our communities and teaching residents the basics so that they could start using the technology to improve their lives. Which is exactly what we did! One of the most fulfilling parts of my job today is to witness someone who has never used a computer before gain the confidence to type, and to access opportunities through Smartcape which otherwise would have been out of reach.’

Making a difference to people’s lives energises Matshotyana.

‘So, I channel all my passion, energy and skills to train and expose residents to the digital world. I can truly say that the positive feedback we receive from the communities makes it so worth it,’ said Matshotyana.

The digital literacy training sessions currently accommodate ten participants per session and take place three times a week at various venues across the City. Residents should ask their local librarians for more information on venues, dates and times. Candidates are taught how to compile a CV, cover letter, spreadsheet budget and are introduced to the Internet and cyber security issues.

The City will be offering the Digital Literacy training to residents in Hanover Park at the Hanover Park library on  27, 28 and 29 August from 10:00 to 13:00.

Through SmartCape residents are also able to apply for an apprenticeship or a job at the City; register for the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP); apply for an informal trading permit or report a fault or service request.

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