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The Digital literacy has become an imperative part of higher education, since the Covid19 outbreak, traditional institutions had to adapt digital learning techniques. However, students from rural schools were left in the dark. Since there are still some extremely poor schools in the rural parts of South Africa, where there is still no access to electricity. Therefore, the ability to use any digital tools remains a huge challenge for such students. The transition from a rural school to an urban higher education institution that is very tech savvy and living in the 4th industrial revolution is extensively difficult. Subsequently, the success of students from rural schools gets hindered. However, this doesn’t necessary mean that these students are incapable of succeeding in their respective programs. This paper aims to explore the challenges faced by students from rural schools regarding digital literacy. The research methodology will be a quantitative approach, the sample will be drawn from students in traditional universities who are coming from rural high schools. The findings of this paper will be used to recommend ways of increasing the success rate of learners from rural schools in digital literacy and skills development for traditional universities in South Africa. Keywords: Digital Literacy, Inclusive Education, Student Succes, South African Higher Education Subject classification codes: I230; I240; I210

The progress and sustainability of a nation's economy are attributed to its human capital, and a country lacking competent, knowledgeable, and productive manpower will struggle to thrive due to a dearth of talented individuals in the job market. To enhance the quality of skilled manpower in industries, the South African government is promoting digital literacy among its youth. This research aims to investigate the use of ICTs skills and competencies as an enabler for promoting sustainable advancement of youth employability in South Africa, as the country's youth unemployment rate for the 15-34 age group was 55.2% in the 1st quarter of 2019. The Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) era has exacerbated job scarcity and inequality due to the scarcity of advanced ICT skills. As a result, South Africa has chosen to increase ICT usage to enhance economic activity and job creation. A critical literature review was conducted to support the research inquiry through a systematic literature review (SLR) as the research methodology since the contents are based on existing literature studies in identifying research needs and gaps, collecting or gathering lines of thoughts Memon et al. (2020) and views in relation to ICT skills and competences as an enabler for sustainable advancement of youth employability in South Africa. The approach was supported using the Sustainable Livelihood Theory as the research framework to support the findings.

Educational institutions are globally adopting new technologies in their pedagogical practices in order to stay in tandem with changes in the ICT sector. Many developing countries are moving towards adopting current technologies in their education systems. On September 30, 2016, after the successful completion of a pilot project, Kenya launched the nation-wide rollout of its DigitalLiteracy program (DLP). The program was meant to provide laptops to the standard one and two pupils in public primary schools together with e-content for learning. The program has been adopted in almost all schools in the country. After rolling out of the program, there are various complaints that have been put forward by the users and other stakeholders and this has necessitated studies to establish the challenges experienced and their possible mitigation. This study evaluated the challenges facing the Digital Learning Programme for Primary Schools in Kisii County, Kenya. A descriptive survey design was used in this study and a self-administered questionnaire was the main data collection instrument used. Stratified random sampling was used to select a sample of 250 primary school teachers in Kisii County. The data was analyzed using SPSS version 22 and presented in tables in form of frequencies and percentages. Training, access to computers, facilities and equipment, funds, and technical support were the main challenges the DLP is facing in Kisii County. The study recommends enhanced training for the teachers, equipping well-furnished computer rooms in the schools among other measures to counter the challenges. Further, enough funds should be provided for in the budget to enable address the challenges facing the program.

The use of technology as a tool for problem identification and solutions is on the rise in the world today. Many institutions have leveraged the power of technology to solve their existing problems. The young generation has also embraced technology and is applying it in varied ways ranging from entertainment to use for academic purposes. This research sought to find out the technology literacy among grade 1 and 2 pupils in public primary schools of Kisii County in Kenya. The population of the study constituted of 71,000 pupils in the two grades in the 710 schools in Kisii County. A sample size of 384 was determined using the Fisher formula and random sampling was used to collect data from 30% of the schools. Data were analyzed descriptively using the statistical package for social sciences. The findings indicated that 43.6% of the pupils had access to smartphones at their homes, 38.9% used them on a daily basis majorly to play games. The majority of the pupils were conversant with Facebook and WhatsApp. Among the recommendations is that academic institutions at the primary school level should start diverting the minds of the young towards tendencies to use more academic applications to enhance their learning skills.

This review paper examines how digitisation has affected South Africa's skill development while comparing it to worldwide patterns. This examines the impact of digital transformation on training and development practices, particularly through the utilisation of online learning platforms, virtual reality, and augmented reality to enhance learning experiences and engagement, thereby facilitating improved skills acquisition while addressing cultural issues and the digital divide within a South African context. The analysis consolidates findings from literature and studies undertaken between 2020 and 2024, emphasising the improved accessibility to training materials enabled by digital platforms, particularly for underprivileged communities. Nonetheless, a major difference in the use of these technologies between urban and rural areas is evident, highlighting considerable obstacles associated with infrastructure and digital literacy. The review underscores the significance of culturally pertinent frameworks in the execution of digital skills training. Evidence indicates that these frameworks augment involvement and boost outcomes among varied people, addressing particular socioeconomic settings in South Africa. This research emphasises the need for inclusive and contextually relevant strategies to effectively incorporate digital technology into skills development projects by comparing case studies from both emerging and developed economies. The findings underscore that although digitisation has substantial potential for improving skills development, it is essential to tackle institutional constraints and guarantee equitable access to attain favourable outcomes across all communities

This review paper examines how digitisation has affected South Africa's skill development while comparing it to worldwide patterns. This examines the impact of digital transformation on training and development practices, particularly through the utilisation of online learning platforms, virtual reality, and augmented reality to enhance learning experiences and engagement, thereby facilitating improved skills acquisition while addressing cultural issues and the digital divide within a South African context. The analysis consolidates findings from literature and studies undertaken between 2020 and 2024, emphasising the improved accessibility to training materials enabled by digital platforms, particularly for underprivileged communities. Nonetheless, a major difference in the use of these technologies between urban and rural areas is evident, highlighting considerable obstacles associated with infrastructure and digital literacy. The review underscores the significance of culturally pertinent frameworks in the execution of digital skills training. Evidence indicates that these frameworks augment involvement and boost outcomes among varied people, addressing particular socioeconomic settings in South Africa. This research emphasises the need for inclusive and contextually relevant strategies to effectively incorporate digital technology into skills development projects by comparing case studies from both emerging and developed economies. The findings underscore that although digitisation has substantial potential for improving skills development, it is essential to tackle institutional constraints and guarantee equitable access to attain favourable outcomes across all communities

The Digital literacy has become an imperative part of higher education, since the Covid19 outbreak, traditional institutions had to adapt digital learning techniques. However, students from rural schools were left in the dark. Since there are still some extremely poor schools in the rural parts of South Africa, where there is still no access to electricity. Therefore, the ability to use any digital tools remains a huge challenge for such students. The transition from a rural school to an urban higher education institution that is very tech savvy and living in the 4th industrial revolution is extensively difficult. Subsequently, the success of students from rural schools gets hindered. However, this doesn’t necessary mean that these students are incapable of succeeding in their respective programs. This paper aims to explore the challenges faced by students from rural schools regarding digital literacy. The research methodology will be a quantitative approach, the sample will be drawn from students in traditional universities who are coming from rural high schools. The findings of this paper will be used to recommend ways of increasing the success rate of learners from rural schools in digital literacy and skills development for traditional universities in South Africa. Keywords: Digital Literacy, Inclusive Education, Student Succes, South African Higher Education Subject classification codes: I230; I240; I210

The progress and sustainability of a nation's economy are attributed to its human capital, and a country lacking competent, knowledgeable, and productive manpower will struggle to thrive due to a dearth of talented individuals in the job market. To enhance the quality of skilled manpower in industries, the South African government is promoting digital literacy among its youth. This research aims to investigate the use of ICTs skills and competencies as an enabler for promoting sustainable advancement of youth employability in South Africa, as the country's youth unemployment rate for the 15-34 age group was 55.2% in the 1st quarter of 2019. The Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) era has exacerbated job scarcity and inequality due to the scarcity of advanced ICT skills. As a result, South Africa has chosen to increase ICT usage to enhance economic activity and job creation. A critical literature review was conducted to support the research inquiry through a systematic literature review (SLR) as the research methodology since the contents are based on existing literature studies in identifying research needs and gaps, collecting or gathering lines of thoughts Memon et al. (2020) and views in relation to ICT skills and competences as an enabler for sustainable advancement of youth employability in South Africa. The approach was supported using the Sustainable Livelihood Theory as the research framework to support the findings.

The use of technology as a tool for problem identification and solutions is on the rise in the world today. Many institutions have leveraged the power of technology to solve their existing problems. The young generation has also embraced technology and is applying it in varied ways ranging from entertainment to use for academic purposes. This research sought to find out the technology literacy among grade 1 and 2 pupils in public primary schools of Kisii County in Kenya. The population of the study constituted of 71,000 pupils in the two grades in the 710 schools in Kisii County. A sample size of 384 was determined using the Fisher formula and random sampling was used to collect data from 30% of the schools. Data were analyzed descriptively using the statistical package for social sciences. The findings indicated that 43.6% of the pupils had access to smartphones at their homes, 38.9% used them on a daily basis majorly to play games. The majority of the pupils were conversant with Facebook and WhatsApp. Among the recommendations is that academic institutions at the primary school level should start diverting the minds of the young towards tendencies to use more academic applications to enhance their learning skills.

Educational institutions are globally adopting new technologies in their pedagogical practices in order to stay in tandem with changes in the ICT sector. Many developing countries are moving towards adopting current technologies in their education systems. On September 30, 2016, after the successful completion of a pilot project, Kenya launched the nation-wide rollout of its DigitalLiteracy program (DLP). The program was meant to provide laptops to the standard one and two pupils in public primary schools together with e-content for learning. The program has been adopted in almost all schools in the country. After rolling out of the program, there are various complaints that have been put forward by the users and other stakeholders and this has necessitated studies to establish the challenges experienced and their possible mitigation. This study evaluated the challenges facing the Digital Learning Programme for Primary Schools in Kisii County, Kenya. A descriptive survey design was used in this study and a self-administered questionnaire was the main data collection instrument used. Stratified random sampling was used to select a sample of 250 primary school teachers in Kisii County. The data was analyzed using SPSS version 22 and presented in tables in form of frequencies and percentages. Training, access to computers, facilities and equipment, funds, and technical support were the main challenges the DLP is facing in Kisii County. The study recommends enhanced training for the teachers, equipping well-furnished computer rooms in the schools among other measures to counter the challenges. Further, enough funds should be provided for in the budget to enable address the challenges facing the program.