Methodology
Harambee commissioned Genesis Global Business Services | Knowledge Executive to conduct the survey and mapping process. We facilitated interviews during April to July 2020 via outbound calls and online surveys with C-level decision-makers, including CEOs, COOs, CIOs, CTOs, ICT/Technology Directors/Managers, HR Directors, Heads of IT and Operations Directors. These respondents represented organisations across fifteen key vertical markets, including automotive, banking and financial services, construction, education, global business services (GBS), insurance, healthcare and medical, manufacturing, media and publishing, public sector/government, retail and e-commerce, technology, telecommunications, travel and leisure and utilities.
A Mixed Methods Research was utilised to conduct the survey. This includes collecting, analysing, and integrating quantitative and qualitative research in a single study or a longitudinal market intelligence report. For the purposes of the Harambee Mapping of Digital and ICT Roles and Demand for South Africa Survey, the Concurrent Procedures Strategy was utilised whereby Genesis GBS | Knowledge Executive converged quantitative and qualitative data in order to provide a comprehensive analysis of the research. Genesis GBS | Knowledge Executive collected both forms of data at the same time during the study and then integrated the information in the interpretation of the overall results.
Secondary Research Included:
- Analyses of the most prevalent and required digital and ICT roles, competencies and specialisations.
- Consolidating existing data and research with regards to role mapping and skills development initiatives.
- Reviewing global and local digital and ICT investment demand-supply surveys and desktop literature.
Primary Research Included:
A total of 102 interviews that consisted of:
- 15 qualitative interviews with leading industry and knowledge leaders to get their viewpoints with regards to job roles and functions and to help validate the questionnaire.
- 87 quantitative interviews with broader technology service providers and businesses to quantify skills, job roles and competencies required and their skills development pipelines.
This enabled us to:
- Authenticate and rank the most in demand roles in the digital and technology space in South Africa.
- Validate pockets of excellence, skills and talent in the country and where stakeholders need to reskill, upskill and future skill in order to scale and grow to meet the demand.
- Quantify the type and nature of digital and ICT work and services being outsourced by South African businesses to other foreign countries.
- Map digital and ICT job roles against specific competencies, skills and specialisations.
Titles/positions of respondents to the survey
The C-suite and director-level decision-makers and respondents to the survey included HR Directors (45%), ICT/Technology Directors (22%), CEOs, CIOs/CTOs and COOs (20%), Operations Directors (9%) and ICT/Technology Managers (4%).
Size of companies interviewed
Over two thirds of the organisations interviewed (69%) were corporates/large enterprises with over 250 employees. An additional 24% of respondents to the survey represented medium sized enterprises with workforces ranging between 51 – 250 employees and the balance of participants (7%) were noted as being small businesses with up to 50 workers. Just over 16% of respondents were multinational organisations with local, South African subsidiaries or regional offices, the balance (84%) consisted of wholly-owned South African businesses and corporations.
Sector split
The survey methodology included interviews with executives across 15 key vertical industries or sectors, as reflected in the diagram below:
