The e-skills landscape in South Africa: the issues of demand and supply and the use of international benchmarks to inform the South African e-skills development context

The e-skills landscape in South Africa: the issues of demand and supply and the use of international benchmarks to inform the South African e-skills development context

This article provides an overview of the key findings of a recent Accenture research study on the e-skills shortage in South Africa. Within the context of e-skills demand the article reveals the challenge of accurate assessment in the face of inconsistent demand data and presents the need for a standardised definition of e-skills demand. It also highlights key factors constraining the supply of e-skills in South Africa and the critical role of education in this regard. To further inform and support the e-skills development context in South Africa the article offers insights into the necessity and value of collaboration between government, industry and educators. This was identified in interviews with players from the information and communication technology (ICT) industry and tertiary education sector as well as from a benchmarking study of the ICT policies and key learnings of six countries.

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