South Africa’s place in the global digital revolution depends on our country’s ability to contribute to technologies that are both globally competitive and locally relevant. The World Bank estimates that the digital economy contributes more than 15% of global domestic product (GDP). Over the past decade, it has grown two and a half times faster than the brick-and-mortar economy, creating millions of new businesses and jobs in the process.
The rapid advancements in technology have led to an unprecedented digital transformation across industries. According to Statistics South Africa, ICT is an enabler of socio-economic development and contributed an estimated sectoral GDP of R300 billion, more than 6% of South Africa’s GDP, in 2022.
When considering the socio-economic benefits of job creation and unemployment, investment in South Africa’s ability and capacity to contribute to technological advancements becomes imperative.
Digital skills mismatch
Growth of the ICT sector’s contribution to national GDP has created an increasing demand for individuals with digital skills, making it vitally important to seek an intervention that aims to bridge the digital skills gap in South Africa and beyond.
The relationship between industry and academia in addressing the skills gap is thus critical to ensure alignment between skills produced and industry opportunities. As the leading provider of fixed, mobile and broadband services and operator of the largest fibre optic network in the country, Telkom takes its role to lead from the front. We are committed to shape the future of South Africa’s telecoms industry.
As far back as 1997, Telkom and its partners realised that with the global digital economic growth, and more recently the rise of use of key technologies such as artificial intelligence, South Africa had to accelerate investments in research, development and broadband usage if our innovators and entrepreneurs are to flourish.
To address the skills mismatch, Telkom launched the Centres of Excellence (CoE) programme 25 years ago, in collaboration with government and universities across the country. This created opportunities for young graduates to do research in telecoms-related technology. It also enabled them to develop the necessary hard and soft skills that make them employment-ready.
The programme is the mechanism through which stakeholders provide resources to CoEs based in South African universities. The resources enable science, technology, engineering and mathematics skills development and ICT research.
The CoE programme is the single largest coordinated research effort in South Africa, between the private sector, academia, and government. It is making a meaningful contribution to closing the digital divide and is closely aligned with government’s National Development Plan (NDP).
It is a visionary initiative that nurtures young postgraduates within a world-class research environment. Its twenty-five years of research and development have added significantly to South Africa’s ICT sector landscape and body of knowledge. This ensures a pipeline of digital skills across the country. The ICT sector is one with massive job creation potential, but to fulfil roles in ICT driven South African enterprises, applicants need to offer the requisite skills.
Almost 4 000 graduates later, Telkom is feeding this pipeline with trained technicians, engineers and computer scientists. These young innovators bring a wealth of knowledge, learned from the CoEs, together with an understanding of society’s needs, to deploy solutions that provide meaningful impact across the ICT sector.
The CoE’s agility, moving with changing technology led by South African academic institutions and adapting to evolving market needs sets it apart. The programme’s skills development, contribution to ICT research and knowledge is enabling South Africa to be globally relevant and competitive, and a leader in innovation.
Telkom has contributed R125 million over the past twenty-five years to the programme and has been augmented with further funding from other partners. In addition, Telkom has invested in research into the value of the programme itself. Through detailed analysis of the challenges and successes, we are certain that the programme is sustainable and will continue to produce positive results for years to come.
More than 3 200 alumni have been employed within Telkom, and other businesses in the ICT sector. What is pleasing, is that most alumni have remained in the country with most now holding managerial positions in academia, private and public sectors.
Support of the CoE programme, and Telkom’s role as an initiator of innovation, culminates at the annual South African Telecom Network and Applications Conference (SATNAC), which took place this week in KwaZulu-Natal.
As the leading event in the southern African ICT calendar, SATNAC is a place for knowledge exchange, interaction between industry and academia, and an opportunity for stakeholders to have input into policy and strategy for the sector going forward. As we look ahead, Telkom is confident that the CoE programme will continue to be a driving force for positive change and is committed to ensuring its continued evolution and success.
- Dr Mmaki Jantjies, Group Executive: Innovation and Transformation and SATNAC Chairperson.
