Africa is taking the lead in IT governance, with a number of public sector initiatives focused on maximising IT capability being put in place throughout the continent.
This is according to Info Sec MD Peter Hill, who says countries like SA, Malawi, Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda are pushing IT governance. "I am convinced the majority of Africa is a world frontrunner in this area."
The SADC central banks are focused on building IT capability and availability, adds Hill. "It is surprising that there is this strong IT focus in Africa, where people tend to think we don`t take initiative."
From a local perspective, Hill believes government should be given credit for the IT initiatives being put in place, although there is still much work to be done. "There is often a negative perception that government does nothing, but they are doing a lot right now to get their house in order.
"Things are not perfect at this moment, but government should be applauded for taking IT governance seriously."
IT governance is about improving capability, so people can mange their risk and improve their value, he adds.
While government has been proactive in this area, the same cannot be said for the private sector, where proper IT value has yet to be delivered.
Business is always looking for more value from IT, says Hill, but IT generally tries to deliver what it thinks will be best practice for business without actually considering what is really needed.
In the past, business invested heavily in IT strategies and received little benefit in return, but Hill states that companies are beginning to change their approach. "Business no longer just invests, but rather the executives stop and ask questions, like 'do we really need to spend money on this?`"
IT has not always provided a healthy return on investment because companies have invested too heavily in certain areas, but this can sometimes be attributed to unethical behaviour from certain security vendors, adds Hill.
"Some vendors are guilty of providing misinformation to companies that end up buying things they don`t need."
The Electronic Communications and Transactions Act is often used to create the impression that there are certain legal requirements that can be satisfied by a vendor`s products on offer, but in fact these obligations do not actually exist, says Hill.
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