STAATSKOERANT, 31 Mei 2024 No. 50741   131 supported by a regulatory regime that creates confidence, consistency, certainty and reliability. A data and technology-driven economy and digital transformation involve significant online activities and interactions. Major cyber-attacks that happened in South Africa in 2019 caused disruptions and significant economic harm. Although South Africa is ahead of its African counterparts in terms of data security and protection, there is still a need to ensure that appropriate institutional mechanisms are in place and institutions vested with protecting and securing South African data and cyberspace are adequately resourced and capacitated. Availability of digital infrastructure, affordable connectivity and technology adoption would be meaningless in a society where there is no capacity to convert such enablement into meaningful economic activity. Many ICT stakeholders are involved in digital skills capacity development initiatives, but these initiatives are not adequately addressing digital skills shortages and gaps. By implication South African skills interventions alone are not having the required impact on digital skills shortages. To address digital skills shortages therefore requires a deliberate, focused, integrated and collaborative approach which seeks to maximise available scarce resources to achieve a greater impact. The Data and Cloud policy seeks to enable a pathway for citizens to derive socio-economic value out of data so that they can be able to participate in an inclusive digital economy. It also seeks to reinforce government���s digital technology adoption, specifically cloud enabled data storage and processing solutions, to enhance service delivery and evidence based policymaking. The policy further recognises that South Africa is part of a globally connected and digitally transformed and transforming community and should therefore not only assert its data sovereignty rights, but also adopt a cross-border data transfer regime that enables collaborative partnerships with regional, continental and other global partners. The policy further recognises the need for digital capacity enablement and creating a secure cyber-environment that not only protects companies and citizens from cyber-threats, but also creates a digital trust environment which will encourage and support investments necessary to create a robust and sustainable digital economy. 9 This gazette is also available free online at www.gpwonline.co.za