by AKANI CHAUKE
JOHANNESBURG – SAS, the data and artificial intelligence leader, calls attention to the widening gap between mathematics, data literacy and society at large.
The call comes as South Africa marks National Science Week from August 4 to 9 under the theme, “Science, Technology and Innovation are for Everyone.”
With 2025 also marking SAS’s 30th anniversary in South Africa, the company is doubling down on its commitment to accessible, ethical, and human-centred innovation.
“Science does not just live in labs and classrooms but is embedded in how we build, trade, govern, and communicate,” said David Cosgrave, Country Manager at SAS South Africa.
Yet, he said, far too many South Africans still felt disconnected from that world.
“At SAS, our mission is to close the gap between people and data by making analytics not just a powerful tool, but something everyone can access, understand, and benefit from.”
SAS supports a range of grassroots and academic initiatives designed to build local capacity in mathematics, coding and AI.
This includes early interventions like Coding4Mandela and Teachers4DataAnalytics as well as targeted programmes such as the My Maths Buddy partnership with CM Vellem Primary School in Makhanda.
Through this initiative, teachers received accredited training and learner kits that transformed confidence and comprehension in the classroom.
This is given how reports show that approximately 82 percent of Grade 4 learners cannot read for meaning in any language.
– CAJ News
