CIO OPINION requires a focus on education ( and skills ) and , broad information and communication technology ( ICT ) infrastructure rollout , supported by governments and driven by an entrepreneurial private sector .
need to take full advantage of cloud computing . This is compounded by countries abroad valuing the skills and costs of local talent , meaning the “ brain drain ” to other shores exacerbates the challenge .
The world is undergoing a rapid evolution with mass uptake of cloud computing and its ability to harness Artificial Intelligence ( AI ), Machine Learning , automation , and more . Digital Transformation is no longer a concept but a reality for businesses around the world striving to remain competitive and differentiate their products and services . The Veeam Data Protection Report 2021 found that 96 % of organisations around the world are accelerating cloud usage .
The risk for Africa is that it gets left further behind . The report also found that 88 % of organisations in Africa said that after disruptions from the global pandemic , their Digital Transformation projects were either delayed or obstructed by a reliance on legacy systems ( 46 %) and very importantly , and a shortage of IT skills ( 38 %).
Even in African regions that are more technologically advanced , such as South Africa , a lack of skills puts the brakes on what could be possible and results in a greater “ digital divide ”.
Many companies in South Africa are mature from an IT perspective but because the hunt for skills is so competitive , with far fewer available skills than there is demand for , often these companies just cannot find the people to build the complex infrastructures they
Beyond skills , experience on the ground in Africa reveals that infrastructure provides another obstacle to Digital Transformation . Assuming they do find the skills or employ the services of third-party vendors – many of which on the continent are well-versed and skilled not only in IT matters but also in the nuances of doing business on the continent – many companies , across various countries , simply cannot build the types of ecosystems they need to be globally competitive because there isn ’ t sufficient fixed infrastructure and connectivity to support this .
It is prudent to point out that obstacles in Africa don ’ t mean the end of the road . This is an innovative and dynamic continent and companies will often develop solutions that leapfrog generations of technology – an example is the FinTech industry , where Africans led the charge to financially include millions of people , who
Many businesses already offer internships and other skills-building initiatives and these are crucial in securing future workers for the industry .
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