By Rabelani Dagada
This April 27th will mark the 20th anniversary of the abolishment of the apartheid system and the attainment of a democratic dispensation. Despite many noteworthy achievements, poverty in South Africa cuts across all racial groups. This is despite the fact that, on the economic front, the country has become a part of globalisation and that there has been steady growth in sectors such as that of Information and Communications Technology (ICT). ICT has also contributed immensely to the phenomenal growth of the services sector in South Africa. Whilst South Africa has not yet experienced an industrial revolution, we have had our own services sector revolution which has been propelled by ICT.
Be that as it may, despite the growth of the services sector, unemployment remains very high. If as a country we need mass creation of jobs, we need to go back to basics – such as manufacturing. ICT professionals should play a role in assisting South Africa to industrialise this economy. Had it not been for our contribution, the South African banking sector wouldn’t have been this advanced. Of course our employers should assist us in terms of doing the necessary Research & Development which would lead to manufacturing. Meanwhile, we should continue to empower ourselves through further studies and other Continuous Professional Development Programmes.
Dagada (PMIITPSA) is the President of IITPSA
