Japanese multinational IT services provider and consultancy, NTT Data South Africa, is stepping up recruitment as demand for artificial intelligence (AI), cyber security and cloud expertise accelerates in SA.
The company is also investing in several long-term initiatives to help address SA’s persistent digital skills shortage.
Speaking to ITWeb TV, Amantha Naidoo, managing executive of NTT Data South Africa, said the company is recruiting across several technology disciplines, as it positions to capture a larger share of SA’s IT services market.
The hiring drive comes as organisations increasingly seek specialised tech expertise amid the local skills dearth, while also expecting technology providers to deliver projects faster and with greater business impact, notes Naidoo.
"We are always recruiting because the ICT sector remains extremely competitive and the demand for expertise continues to grow. Our ability to retain talent has to be matched by our ability to attract it, and we're actively recruiting for our core skills, as well as the emerging technology areas where we want to grow ahead of the curve. Talent acquisition has to align with where we see future growth.”
According to Naidoo, recruitment is only one part of the equation. Equally important is ensuring employees continue developing new capabilities as technology evolves at an unprecedented pace.
"Technology is changing so quickly that learning can't stop once someone joins the organisation. We have to continuously invest in upskilling and reskilling our people so they remain relevant and are equipped to support our clients as new technologies emerge."
uture-proofing skills
While AI specialists remain in high demand, Naidoo believes SA’s technology skills challenge extends far beyond data scientists and AI architects.
She said organisations still require highly-skilled software developers, infrastructure engineers and network specialists, among others – skills which ensure the employees are capable of helping customers modernise complex technology environments.
"Our focus remains on building expertise across infrastructure, cyber security, enterprise applications, networking and architecture because those remain critical capabilities for our customers.
“The challenge isn't simply finding people with those skills, but continuously keeping those skills relevant as technology changes.”
She added that NTT Data continues investing heavily in training and certification to ensure employees remain current across rapidly-evolving technologies.
According to Naidoo, AI has also exposed another skills gap that receives far less attention.
"We're seeing organisations invest in AI architects and data scientists, and we're seeing employees being trained to use generative AI tools. What firms haven't invested enough in is helping entire workforces become more adaptive. Marketing teams, finance professionals, contact centre agents and many other roles all need new behavioural and digital skills if organisations want AI adoption to succeed."
She believes many organisations remain too focused on technology deployment, while overlooking workforce readiness.
"There is still fear around AI because many employees believe embracing it means replacing themselves. If organisations want meaningful adoption, they need to invest just as much in preparing people for change as they do in deploying the technology itself."
Building talent pipeline
Naidoo said addressing SA’s technology skills shortage starts long before graduates enter the workplace.
One of NTT Data's flagship initiatives is its Saturday School programme, which has been running for three decades and focuses on improving mathematics, science and technology education for high school learners.
Naidoo said the company is equally focused on creating opportunities for South African professionals after they enter the workforce.
Rather than relying heavily on imported expertise, NTT Data wants to position SA as one of the group's global delivery hubs.
She explained that within NTT Data, South African software developers, cloud specialists, cyber security professionals and engineers are increasingly supporting international customers, while remaining based locally.
"We want South Africa to become a destination of choice for delivering technology services across the global NTT Data organisation. That means creating jobs here, while enabling South African professionals to support customers in Europe, Asia and the Americas. It's about exporting South African skills rather than exporting South African people."
When asked by ITWeb if the company is sometimes forced to import skills from other markets, Naidoo replied: “No.” She explained that although access to global expertise remains an advantage of belonging to a multinational organisation, local hiring remains central to the company's strategy.
"Being part of a global organisation gives us access to specialist skills wherever we need them. At the same time, we're committed to remaining a responsible corporate citizen by creating jobs locally and maintaining strong client intimacy in South Africa.
“We believe the right balance is building local capability, while drawing on global expertise where it adds value."
Fourteen months into her tenure as managing executive, Naidoo said one of her biggest priorities has been guiding the South African business through organisational transformation following Dimension Data’s rebranding as NTT Data in February 2024.
This came after NTT Data’s acquisition of local IT services firm Dimension Data in 2010.
She described the transition as a "rollercoaster", but pointed out that success depended less on technology than on communication, transparency and bringing employees along on the journey.
"Transformation succeeds or fails based on how effectively you take people with you. That means communicating why decisions are being made, creating clarity around change and making sure employees understand the direction of the business.”
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