As AI becomes mainstream in workplaces, the technology is dramatically changing what skills are needed and what jobs will be available to ICT practitioners in future.
This is according to experts speaking at the first major Institute of Information Technology Professionals South Africa (IITPSA) Intelligent Workforce conference and exhibition, where this year’s IITPSA ICT Skills Survey was launched.
Delegates at the event said AI concerns that kept them awake at night included ensuring that students were equipped with industry-ready knowledge, the impact AI would have on entry-level jobs for youths, whether AI would erode jobs in sectors such as software engineering, and specifically which AI skills were needed to close skills gaps.
Releasing the findings of the first IITPSA ICT Skills Survey to deep-dive into the impact of AI, Lehlohonolo Mokenela, Managing Director at Africa Analysis, said that instead of eroding jobs, AI was creating new opportunities. He said demand for AI-related skills was soaring and ICT practitioners were embracing the technology in South Africa. He noted: "Organisations that report major ICT skills shortages are among the strongest adopters of AI, suggesting that AI adoption is often a response to talent constraints rather than an alternative to human talent.”
Becoming AI-ready
Keynote speaker Pragashani Reddy, Chief Commercial Officer at Digital Solutions Group (DSG), said: “We have seen anxiety and job losses in the financial sector, so the IITPSA ICT Skills Survey finding that many ICT professionals are both optimistic and concerned about AI reflects the reality of this transition. We should neither dismiss those concerns nor allow fear to prevent innovation. Responsible AI adoption must include a workforce strategy, not just a technology implementation plan. Leaders need to communicate openly about changing roles, involve employees in redesigning workflows and provide practical opportunities to develop new skills.”
In her address, Dinielia Pillay, OfferZen Talent Partner, outlined actions that employers and ICT professionals could take to adapt to changing skills requirements.
She said: “Professionals should pick a lane such as security, data, cloud or AI. They should use AI daily to build AI fluency, and build visible proof of their skills and experience, such as projects, write-ups and certifications. Employers should hire for potential with skills-based assessments, and ensure they build a junior skills pipeline for the seniors of the future.”
Pillay added that educators should co-design curricula with industry, review them yearly, and build in work-integrated learning.
Professor Helena Barnard, Full Professor at the Gordon Business Institute, said natural hustlers and independent thinkers would be among those who fared best in the new AI era.
“There are four essential characteristics that I think are critical to support a good news story for AI: foresight and the ability to look beyond the immediate needs and problems; the ability to move into a mindset that values questions more than answers; the courage to grab the AI opportunity; and good judgment to discern what AI knowledge is valuable knowledge and what will solve our problems,” she said.
A panel of IITPSA Pr.CIOs outlined how CIOs are preparing their organisations and workforces for the AI era, with CIOs saying they were making an effort to retain top staff through flexible schedules and internationally competitive salaries.
In another panel discussion, South African ICT practitioners unpacked issues such as career uncertainty, remote work and consulting opportunities, saying they saw a need to continually stay abreast of various AI models and AI progress.
A panel hosted by the IITPSA’s Women in IT (WIIT) chapter emphasised the importance of ensuring that women sat at the table that approved, secured and oversaw AI. They also said more should be done to close the digital gender gap to ensure that women staff and customers and staff could use AI safely and confidently.
Building AI readiness in southern Africa
IITPSA President Pearl Pasi noted: “AI might be unsettling, but it also creates spaces for us to innovate, to develop our organisations and our skills pipelines. AI is only half the story. The other half is human intelligence – our skills, our judgment, our values, ethics and our willingness to keep learning.”
She said the AI future required professional leadership, ethical and responsible AI adoption and the development of digital and AI capability across southern Africa.
An IITPSA Presidents' Panel moderated by Pasi discussed what southern African industry bodies should do to help build an AI-ready ICT workforce, close skills gaps, expand opportunity and make sure AI adoption benefits people as well as organisations. The panel included members of national ICT professional bodies from four southern African countries: Pasi; Dr Clement Siyangwe, President of the ICT Association of Zambia (ICTAZ) and Head of ICT at Chalimbana University; Freddy Ndhlovu, President of the Computer Society of Zimbabwe (CSZ); and Tshepho Bathai, President of Botswana Information Technology Society (BITS).
The panel said southern Africa should be building its own AI models, and that every ICT professional should be held to a professional code of ethics – just like doctors and engineers. They also proposed actions such as a shared regional calendar of AI skills events, short courses and certifications. Dr Siyangwe noted: “We have to ensure that all member countries buy into the vision.”
* To read the full 2026 IITPSA ICT Skills Survey report, go to https://www.iitpsa.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/2026-ICT-Skills-Survey-and-Research-Report.pdf.
Share
Editorial contacts