Faizel Patel, Radio Islam News – 22-12-2017

As South Africans watched and listened to the first address by newly elected African National Congress (ANC) leader Cyril Ramaphosa, many also took note that he used an Apple iPad, metamorphing from the old “speech paper” days and into the digital era. 

Ramaphosa delivered his hour-long speech on Wednesday at Nasrec in Soweto.

It’s understood that Ramaphosa uses an Apple Mac to type or write his speeches and then read them of his iPad, shying away from thick sheaf of speech notes in large print that used to be favoured by his predecessor Jacob Zuma. 

While US President Donald Trump uses a teleprompter, a projector that displays an image of words onto a piece of clear glass in such a way that the speaker can see them, but others cannot, others world leaders have also embraced technology to enhance their presentations and deliver lengthy speeches flawlessly. 

Apple introduced the iPad in 2010. Just one year after its introduction, there were 7.8 million iPad users in the U.S., according to an article in the Wall Street Journal. 

With its introduction came not only advancement in personal technology, but also advancement in technology used around the world.

World leaders have overwhelming and busy schedules and at times are required to address a gathering at short notice. 

Technology has advanced to a such an advanced level that a president’s speech writer could be half way across the world and yet still get the speech to the head of state on time, all with the touch of a button or a screen. 

The coming years will be a time of “Digital Leaders”. Around the world, leaders including the new President of the ANC Cyril Ramaphosa,  

have already started to embrace the digital revolution and recognize the power of game-changing technology. 

The times they are changing. 

Twitter: @FaizelPatel143