US technology group Dell this morning announced it has signed a multimillion-rand broad-based BEE equity equivalent investment deal with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the Centre for High-Performance Computing.
Stewart van Graan, executive director of emerging markets at Dell, explained the company would open an IT academy in January next year that would see a total of 200 students receive high-performance computing skills training, over a period of 10 years.
In addition to high-performance computing skills, each group of 20 students that would be enrolled each year would receive training in business and life skills, Van Graan explained, adding the company would seek to develop skills that are relevant to disruptive technology.
He noted Dell will invest a minimum of R120 million in the initiative, and would use field agents to seek out deserving graduates and matriculants from poor rural backgrounds, who would normally not have the funding to pursue further studies.
"We know the ICT industry has a skills challenge and we want to address this," said Van Graan. He noted the initiative would not only add to the country's skills pool, but would also create employable individuals and give students the opportunity to "chart their course".
Deputy director-general of incentives administration at the DTI Malebo Mabitjie-Thompson said the department is championing black economic empowerment and described the deal as another milestone in the implementation of the country's empowerment policy.
The Dell equity equivalency project is the seventh such deal concluded in SA in the past seven years, with four of these being in the ICT sector. Equity equivalency allows multinational companies - unable to meet ownership targets - to make contributions in lieu of a direct sale of equity, in terms of broad-based BEE Codes of Good Practice.
"This is a transformation journey for SA. I want to congratulate Dell for the skills aspect and enterprise development aspects of this partnership," said Mabitjie-Thompson, adding SA needs to be part of the global new wave of industrialisation.
She noted the African continent is not a producer of significant technology, but instead remains a consumer. "We need to develop knowledge to produce significant ICT equipment and services that are required by the world."
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