The Black Information Technology Forum (BITF) has appointed Darryl Dennis as its first fulltime Chief Executive Officer. Thirty-one years old, Dennis is currently the Eastern Cape representative on the BITF`s Executive Committee and holds a law degree from Vista University in Port Elizabeth. He assumed his position in October 2000.
Dennis is a non-executive director of the Gauteng-based media and entertainment company In-Tyme Inc. He is a former Regional (Eastern Cape) Business Development Manager for Sourcecom and previously branch manager in Bisho for Leo Computer Services.
Dennis says his duties are various. "In the first place, it is my task to enhance and propagate the image of the BITF in an industry that is overwhelmingly dominated by traditional IT companies. This is not a racist approach but one that is geared towards providing skills and capacity-parity between emerging companies and those that have dominated the IT scene in the past.
"In the process of enhancing the BITF`s credibility, the organisation will create awareness as to the competency levels, capacities and skills-availability of black IT companies. Sadly, the perception in the market and Government is still that these companies are not capable of delivering effective and efficient service." In the process of creating this awareness, he adds, the BITF will strive "to create an enabling environment within which black IT professionals and companies can transact and gain access to technology".
He says the most important focus of the new position, however, will be to assist the BITF in becoming the interface between Government and the black IT sector in terms of national information communication technology policy formulation.
Dennis is married to Rochelle and has two children, Caroline (five) and Caitlin (three). His interests outside the IT sector are golf (he plays off an 11 handicap) and squash.
The Black Information Technology Forum is a duly elected representative body of black professionals, stakeholders, IT students and black IT entrepreneurs with a registered membership of more than 2000 people. BITF seeks to ensure the equitable participation of black business in the information communication technology sector and, furthermore, to ensure black business becomes a key stakeholder and participant in creating the Information Society in South Africa.
Last year, the overall South African IT market was worth R32 billion, with an average growth rate of 17 percent projected for each of the next three years. There are just over 180 black IT companies with a combined turnover of about 15 percent of the market.
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