This archive report was first published on 9 May 2020.
Preparing for what comes next ¶
As the world grapples with the Covid-19 pandemic, it's clear that information and communication technology (ICT) has played a critical role in fighting the virus and transforming society.
According to Chen Lei, President of Huawei Southern Africa Region, laying the foundation for constant evolution is key to progress.
At the beginning of this year, the COVID-19 pandemic broke out, and organisations across the planet began to shift into action. However, it was also important to proactively prepare for the next phase.
Chen Lei notes that Huawei was aware of the massive effect of the pandemic and how seriously communities would be affected. However, the company was also conscious that protecting lives was not enough – they needed to help lay the foundation for the next stage of society's technological advancement – the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
Chen Lei was inspired by a recent YouTube video of young South African dancer Hlumelo, who has been under lockdown in his home township of Gugulethu. Despite the lockdown, Hlumelo continued to practice his steps for the moment when he and his friends could perform together again.
Similarly, during the Chinese lockdown, members of the Shanghai ballet continued to practice – wearing facemasks – for their upcoming performance of Swan Lake.
During the pandemic, Huawei secured its people and operations and looked at how it could support its business partners on the African continent through its core competences in the ICT sector. The company was fortunate to be able to assist with social distancing by African organisations through its technologies.
Video conferencing systems provided by Huawei in some African countries enabled information sharing domestically and experience exchange internationally between epidemic prevention experts in China and Africa.
Remote videoconferencing systems have helped medical institutions communicate more efficiently. Huawei has also implemented an AI-based diagnosis solution in several medical institutions, allowing CT scan reviews to be completed in two minutes – 80% faster.
When the dust settles, and we begin to arrive at the much-heralded
