TALKING BUSINESS
Gareth Hawkey, CEO of redPanda Sofware
I
n a business environment that is now largely driven by
innovative IT and software, there is massive demand for
skilled and highly trained IT professionals. Sadly, as has
been well documented, there is an increasingly dire shortage
of these individuals in the local sphere.
This lack in supply seems to be partly the result of a formal
education system that is not adequately addressing the needs
of local companies and providing a reliable pipeline of talent.
As it stands, gaining entry to top universities remains hugely
competitive (and often too expensive), and many students
are opting for more traditional careers as doctors, accountants
or engineers.
In the short and long term, this means that there just aren’t
enough young and ambitious people stepping into the IT
industry to meet the ever-growing need.
Global tech bigwigs adding pressure
Simultaneously, this demand is being driven by global
companies that are opening up branches in South Africa (e.g
Amazon and Facebook) as well as the growth of South Africa
as a prime destination for offshoring. Naturally, this places
added stress on the imbalance between the supply and
demand of IT talent.
While these are the key factors behind the skills shortage, the
mounting challenge for local companies is that IT salaries
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