The Telkom Foundation handed over a sophisticated, upgraded Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Lab to the Steve Biko Foundation, boosting the organisation's capacity to make positive impacts on its community - and the world - through training, skills development and educational research.

The new Steve Biko Centre ICT Lab features 40 new workstations and new-generation digital connectivity, enabling lectures, seminars, book launches, theatre, virtual tours, and educational content to be streamed.

The handover took place during Heritage Month, a time when the nation reflects on its rich history and cultural legacy. This timing is especially significant as it also coincided with the burial of liberation-struggle icon Steve Biko, whose legacy continues to empower and inspire through the work of the foundation.

Community development a core focus

Located in Biko’s home township of Ginsberg in the Eastern Cape, the Steve Biko Centre also features a museum, performance and conference spaces, a restaurant, library and business centre, and it is the cornerstone of the Biko Heritage Trail.

The Centre describes its mission as "serving as an intellectual resource, while providing an economic opportunity for the region" and is currently being graded by the South African Heritage Resources Agency as a national monument.

"At the Telkom Foundation, we believe the best way to make a difference for South Africa's communities is by investing in education,” said Telkom Foundation Head, Judy Vilakazi, at the handover of the new ICT Lab. “We are proud to be able to do that through our partnership with the Steve Biko Foundation.”

Steve Biko Foundation Founder and Executive Trustee Nkosinathi Biko said that the new ICT Lab would benefit the community around Ginsberg and Qonce in multiple ways.

Creating change in communities

"This Lab is a game changer for this community," he said. "It will provide access to learning and training material for teachers and for learners of all ages, especially unemployed youth. We now have more computers in the Centre's community library, which will allow many more users to study, research, and apply for jobs or places at university."

Nkosinathi anticipated that because the Centre is located in the Eastern Cape, a province in which connectivity and school achievement records are historically below par, the Telkom Foundation investment would have a massive impact.

"The ICT Lab will make the Steve Biko Centre a district connectivity hub and a global resource,” said Nkosinathi. “We are currently using VSAT connection, and plan to migrate to high-speed fibre in phase two. This upgrade will enhance the streaming quality of lectures, seminars, book launches, theatre performances, virtual tours, and other activities for users worldwide."

The Telkom Foundation donation comes with complete hardware equipment requirements, all necessary training for Steve Biko Foundation staff, and connectivity to support digital learning in schools and universities across the province.

Nkosinathi said the improved connectivity would also enable the Centre's rich library collection to become a digital as well as a physical asset.

"Our archived periodicals section boasts some of the rarest publications in the world, and is arguably the nation’s largest collection of information on Biko and the Black Consciousness Movement," said Nkosinathi. "With increased connectivity, our physical offering could be expanded to more than 500 000 digital titles for researchers and students."

He added, "The new partnership with Telkom has allowed us to revitalise and re-equip our e-learning centre, a vital next step in empowering our community with modern skills such as coding."

"We are so excited to see this partnership with the Steve Biko Foundation come to life," added Judy. "We are committed to helping communities access knowledge through technology – so that more of South Africa’s people can play a meaningful role in building our society."

From the launch: