Learning how to fly: Transforming SA’s business landscape and the need for cloud skills

By David Browne, Head, GTM SEACOM South Africa.

As more and more SA businesses utilise cloud computing infrastructure and services, the pressure mounts to source and retain the skills and talent necessary to support that infrastructure. Over the last two years, the country has benefitted from several wide-scale projects and initiatives, most notably at the hands of hyperscalers such as Amazon Web Services (AWS), which in 2023 announced it would train 100,000 young South Africans to become certified cloud practitioners.

Make no mistake, transforming one’s business into a cloud-first organisation is no easy undertaking. Facing current national skills gaps and competition from other markets, local businesses need to consider what skills they need to kickstart and sustain their cloud agendas, balance their in-house human resources with the expertise of cloud service providers, and know how the two can work together in an optimised manner.

Starting with the basics

With cloud computing entrenched in all aspects of the modern enterprise, businesses require professionals with qualifications and experience across several domains. That said, first and foremost in terms of priority is knowledge of cloud service platforms such as AWS, Microsoft Azure, Oracle, and other hyperscalers. Understanding the advantages and disadvantages of each platform is the first step in making an informed decision about who to work with, as well as determining cost efficacy and the potential for long-term value.

From there, cloud skills are about being proficient in the fundamentals. Cloud practitioners need to know programming languages such as Java and Python to build cloud-native applications, and how to use application programming interfaces (APIs) that enable those applications and services to interact with one another. Databases are one of the most widely used cloud application services, and so team members should know how to both manage them, and interpret the data that contain.

Not every local business sets out to build their own applications (many may only need the cloud to fulfil their data storage and security needs), but foundational knowledge is critical in the event local businesses want to digitise further and leverage the cloud to complete new business objectives.

The need to pivot and adapt

The complexity and dynamism that characterise cloud computing require constant learning and adaption. In addition to South Africa’s education sector and national curricula having to play catch up, many local IT professionals need to reskill and upskill themselves, with many not having the necessary time and resources to do so.

An IT skills shortage is not a problem that is unique to South Africa – the International Data Corporation (IDC) estimates that by 2026, 90% of organisations worldwide will be impacted by the shortage – but it is one that has damaging consequences. Therefore, collaboration between the public and private sectors is essential to creating a foundation of standardised knowledge. We see this manifest in the form of certification courses offered by hyperscalers and other industry stakeholders. Not only do enterprises benefit from the increased availability of talent, but it also makes cloud computing a more accessible technology for smaller, less-resourced enterprises to adopt.

Balancing in-house talent and vendor expertise

With nothing less than South Africa’s digital transformation, cloud skills are essential to maintain the country’s current adoption and investment levels. Businesses should also consider how they can best retain and upskill existing employees to work with the new infrastructure, technologies, and overall culture.

Meanwhile, outsourcing IT operations and partnering with cloud and managed service providers can help companies reduce the risk posed by a skills shortage. MSPs boast teams of multidisciplinary professionals who keep up to date with the latest trends and technological advances, and who can help businesses by letting them worry less about their enterprise IT and focus more on other activities.