Solly Malatsi and Microsoft open digital lab in Soweto

Digital access just got weaponized for fairness as a new school lab turns connectivity into a real shot at closing education gaps.

Digital lab launch in Soweto

• Solly Malatsi pushed digital access as an equity tool.
• Marked the opening at Phefeni Secondary School.
• Positioned infrastructure as a leveling force.
• Framed tech access as future-facing, not optional.

Who built the project

• Government teams worked alongside Microsoft.
• Education and digital portfolios aligned goals.
• Focus stayed on underserved communities.
• Partnership blended policy with private resources.

What the lab enables

• Students gain hands-on digital skills.
• Online learning resources become reachable.
• Exposure to digital economy pathways increases.
• Barriers tied to geography get weaker.

Why inclusion matters

• Cyberlabs were pitched as equalizers.
• Location no longer defines learning limits.
• Connectivity supports long-term opportunity building.
• Digital literacy links directly to economic participation.

Bigger picture for South Africa

• Project fits into wider digital transformation plans.
• Skills development stays central to policy.
• Public and private sectors share responsibility.
• Inclusive growth drives the strategy forward.