September 19, 2022
Future employment lies in tech services
South Africa has a huge skills mismatch and this influences the employment rates in the country. Tech skills that are most in demand include software developers, developer programmers, computer network technicians and computer system engineers. At SEACOM Business, we believe that the future of employment lies in tech services.
Despite being the second largest economy in Africa, South Africa still struggles with huge inequality and unemployment. Education and training in tech skills is critical for narrowing this gap and improving South Africa’s poverty cycle.
Tech service jobs can improve unemployment rates
The South African unemployment rate stood at almost 34% in the second quarter of 2022. It reached a record high at the end of 2021, with an unemployment rate of over 35%. Jobs in social services, trade, finance and construction were the sectors that experienced the highest job gains.
Employment in manufacturing and transportation, however, experienced the greatest decline. Largely attributed to rolling blackouts, these industries were heavily affected in recent months. To secure their future employment, South Africa’s youth need to upskill particularly in terms of digital literacy and technical capabilities.
In manufacturing, having technical skills is a must as the industry starts to shift towards internet of things (IoT)-enabled manufacturing. Construction is also being reshaped by technologies; the need for low or unskilled manual labour is shrinking with machines replacing humans.
The future of transport is similarly being reshaped by digital technologies. Supply chains are rapidly evolving to include increased digitisation. Consider the self-driving vehicles that are already making headway across much of the US. This will undoubtedly reshape employment in this industry in the coming years.
Employment in tech for South Africa’s youth
South Africa’s youth continues to be disadvantaged in the labour market. At the start of 2022, the unemployment rate among the youth was significantly higher compared to the national average. The unemployment rate for those aged 15 to 24 stood at almost 64%.
Naturally curious about technology, today's youth are well-positioned to harness the tech skills required for the future. This does require a certain level of formal education and the youth need to be enabled with affordable internet access.
Equipped with an internet connection, there are many ways young people can upskill themselves, particularly in technical skills. For example, there are a number of free online accreditations available, such as Google’s suite of digital skills courses. But affordable and stable internet access remains a hurdle until the South African government can deliver on its promise of universal internet access to disadvantaged communities.
Closing the digital skills gap in South Africa
Many consider STEM education to be the answer to mobilising SA’s youth in the field of technology. Fostering an interest in science, technology engineering and maths has shown positive results all around the world. The South African national curriculum needs to focus more on STEM, underpinned by a multidisciplinary approach to teaching. Hands-on education where students are encouraged to tinker, experiment and learn from trial and error is a great foundation for the tech skills needed in the future.
Inspiring curiosity in science is one of the reasons for the establishment of the Cape Town Science Centre (CTSC). The CTSC supports schools and teachers in fostering an interest in science and technology. More initiatives such as this one are needed to help close the skills gap for South Africa’s youth, setting them up for future employment opportunities in tech services.
Although jobs in tech services are highly sought after, work needs to be done to close the South African data analytics skills gap. With this in mind, some South African universities have launched an initiative to support local teachers, giving them the knowledge and tools they need to inspire their students to pursue a career in data analytics. The aim of the project is to empower teachers so they are able to encourage curiosity and exposure to STEM subjects.
Attracting and retaining tech professionals
South Africa has a shortage of skilled IT and ICT professionals. E-skilled employees are difficult to attract and retain. One factor that contributes to this issue is the opening up of global markets. South African talent is being attracted by job offers overseas, with attractive remuneration and flexible working hours.
South African businesses need to offer competitive salaries in order to attract and retain these employees. The retention of skilled workers has become a major headache for HR departments; ICT professionals which leave the company take with them intellectual property, further compounding the issue of skills shortages within the organisation.
A study on South Africa’s ICT skills shortage found that there are five factors that influence whether employees decide to remain at a company or not. While salary is an obvious factor, the other reasons why ICT professionals make job changes depend on opportunities for career growth, feelings of empowerment, having good interpersonal relationships and a focus on personal well-being.
High demand for tech skills in South Africa
The skills that are most in demand, from the perspective of employers, are in big data, analytics, cyber security, DevOps and artificial intelligence. Everyday digital skills are also needed for a wide number of jobs, such as web browsing and word processing which need to be addressed more thoroughly by the national curriculum.
It's not just a lack of jobs that is the problem, it's also an adequately educated workforce. As we move towards the 4th Industrial Revolution, South Africans need to be equipped with the technological skills to be able to enter labour markets. According to the World Economic Forum, IT skills are in high demand in South Africa, particularly those related to big data and cloud technologies.
The good news is that tech jobs pay well. South Africa’s highest paying jobs include software developers, pilots, IT managers, lawyers and medical specialists. IT jobs have lower barriers to entry than do those for pilots, lawyers or medical specialists. With a few years of study, tech workers can quickly climb the career ladder and access high income levels and job prospects.
SEACOM Business supports the notion that future employment lies in tech services. We are passionate about IT and ICT and the potential it brings for socio-economic development. We provide industry-leading tech solutions for South African businesses. For more information or to get a quote for our various IT and ICT services, email us at marketing@seacom.com or leave us a message.
SEACOM owns Africa’s most extensive network of information and communications technology (ICT) infrastructure, including subsea cables and secure internet connections. We offer a diverse range of flexible, scalable and high-quality solutions for businesses that meet world-class standards for connectivity.
SEACOM is privately owned and operated, making it agile and adaptable to the needs of the customer. This makes us the preferred ICT and internet connectivity partner for African businesses and peripheral service providers. We can guarantee high-speed, low-latency and secure internet connections to corporates and small enterprises.
For more information on our internet and voice solutions, follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook or Twitter. Keep an eye on our news section for insightful articles and relevant news stories on African ICT, internet connectivity and our leading cloud and security solutions.
Need internet for your home? Our subsidiary, WonderNet, brings fast and cost-effective broadband internet to all Africans with a fibre-to-the-home offering.