SA is still dependent on offshore ICT skills and government, as well as the private sector, needs to do more to encourage young people to venture into the industry.
This is according to Patrick Monyeki, De Beers Group Services director, who is this year's winner of Computer Society of SA/ITWeb Visionary CIO Award.
Speaking to ITWeb after receiving the honour at the Wanderers Club, in Illovo, yesterday, Monyeki said the skills shortage is one of the biggest challenges besetting SA's ICT industry.
This, he stated, has seen the country lose money to offshore skills, rather than develop its own human resources.
He added that the dearth of ICT skills also resulted in the country lagging behind its peers in as far as industry advancement is concerned.
“It is no secret that the ICT industry in SA does not have adequate skills. Government and industry need to ensure pupils take up subjects like mathematics and science from a tender age to fill this gap.”
Monyeki also revealed the industry needs to do more in opening up the sector by creating more job opportunities.
“Yes, we might say the country is facing dire ICT skills shortage, but it is also a fact that there are a lot of IT graduates sitting out there without jobs and these also need to be absorbed into the industry, as a starting point.”
He also stressed that the disadvantaged members of society should be encouraged to enter the ICT industry, as they could also add value and fill the skills dearth gap.
“There are a lot of people with potential in SA. Government and industry should ensure underprivileged people, like those in the rural areas and women, also have equal opportunities to enter the ICT industry,” he noted.
It is also Monyeki's belief that, from a government point of view, ICT leadership is scattered around many government departments, leaving its objectives vague and difficult to attain.
“Currently, the departments that deal with ICT include the Department of Communications, the Department of Trade and Industry, the Department of Public Service Administration, the Department of Science and Technology, and so on. Why not centralise IT under one umbrella body, just as they have done in India with the creation of the Department of IT, solely created to cater for the needs of the ICT industry,” he pointed out.
He explained that adopting a single IT ministry has the advantage of having unity of purpose for all the needs of the industry.
Monyeki said stakeholders should also understand the immense contribution of ICT to the country's economy. “An important challenge for the government is how to seize greater benefits from ICT for economic growth and development as there is no doubt that the use of ICT is a catalyst for growth,” he said.
The Visionary CIO Award recognises an executive responsible for IT strategy in an organisation who has demonstrated visionary leadership in using technology to grow business. It was introduced in 2008 and is presented by ITWeb and the Computer Society of SA.
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