As more global tech heavyweights make significant investment into Africa, Dimension Data’s CEO, Alan Turnley-Jones, argues that these investments are creating ripple effects that reach far beyond digital innovation and tech infrastructure for the region.
Growth in Africa’s technology sector will continue to drive an exponential economic and social benefit for the continent as a whole. As markets like South Africa increasingly become innovation hubs, we will see the impact on businesses and people as opportunities become common cause.
Indeed, the tech sector has always been widely recognised as fertile ground for investment returns, so much so that according to the State of the IT Sector in South Africa Report 2023, the total telecommunications investment increased by 17,16% from R33,9-billion in 2021 to R39,7-billion in 2022. The question beyond the number is about how this is driving much needed green shoots in the economy, and with this the very real opportunities for people working in this market.
It is these factors that support Dimension Data’s Japanese parent company, NTT’s continued commitment to investing ahead of the curve in this region. There are many reasons why the country is an attractive prospect for tech investment. South Africa has a thriving start-up and tech market, as well as an untapped pool of talent as it is home to a number of world-class universities which are producing highly skilled graduates. A recent study reveals that 54% of tech professionals are under the age of 35 showing that there is vast potential for innovation and growth.
Developments such as a substantial increase in investment in telecoms is great news for the sector because it has led to major advancements in the fields of communication, especially in terms of cloud and applications. This is a high focus area for the company that we are investing heavily in as we identify trends and increase the current skill set by bringing in new types of skills.
The company has also rolled out quite a few new solutions over the last few months from the global NTT office, the South African Global Service Hub is case in point. Having recently gone live, approximately 1000 employees have been successfully transitioned into the NTT global services team, with no disruption to business continuity. The first of many new international clients has been onboarded and this is expected to result in exponential job creation so that teams can meet global demand. This is a significant milestone and an important step to further align our in-country delivery organisation to our global service delivery team.
One of the most exciting aspects of our collaboration with NTT is our ability to leverage the backing of a global organisation for research and development. We invest an annual average of $3,5-billion in our R&D division to ensure we keep up with the latest tech trends to accelerate the depth of the solutions we offer our customers in Africa.
What does this investment mean for local talent?
Sustained international investment means that service providers are now able to provide solutions that are increasingly cutting edge and seamless. Consumers get a world-class interconnected experience. For new talent, this means they now have the opportunity to become part of a much bigger and global organisation. No longer is it a case of local talent cutting their teeth in local businesses, but rather local talent who are gaining global experience right off the bat – and this is what our country needs more of.
Of course the opportunity for skills development is critically important, but in the pursuit of developing skills, we cannot not overlook the essential element that transforms proficiency into excellence–the platform for talent to use those skills and evolve. Employees who want to stay relevant and drive real business value rather than just maintain current systems must be exposed to real-world, global opportunities – and quickly – to prepare them for continued digital transformation.
NTT’s investment into South Africa’s tech landscape has specifically been structured to do just this – build new talent into the market and help that talent rapidly transform by exposing them to global clients and global opportunities. Through its investment into global cloud services, for example, new solutions from the likes of Microsoft and the AWS Connect offering is creating open ended opportunities for new talent to fast track their skills capabilities by working on clients in the US, Asia and Europe.
The full potential of skills can only be realised in an environment that fosters talent and provides the necessary opportunities to apply and evolve those skills. Development is only the foundation of growth, and now that we have a solid foundation, we have a responsibility to ensure a cycle of capability that challenges individuals to master and then refine their abilities because skill alone does not guarantee success.
The bottom line is clear. We are in it for the long haul, and the benefit to our people and in turn the continent cannot be understated.