a pivotal moment for south africa's tech future

Johannesburg, September 17, 2025

South Africa is emerging as a vibrant hub of innovation, with a dynamic tech ecosystem and a growing community of skilled professionals driving progress across industries. Yet, as the digital landscape expands, so too does the need to strengthen our cybersecurity infrastructure and retain the talent that powers it. As South Africa gears up for Cyber Security Awareness Month (celebrated globally in October), our position as an emerging digital economy is scruitinised.

Recent data breaches have underscored the urgency of this challenge, but it also presents an opportunity: to invest more deeply in our local expertise, foster a culture of resilience, and position South Africa as a global leader in secure digital transformation. The question is not whether we have the talent, it's whether we're creating the conditions for it to thrive.

Dr Aradhana Mansingh, School Manager at the MANCOSA School of Business Excellence, points out that this is very concerning when one considers South Africa's ambitions to become one of the biggest digital economies in Africa. "There needs to be a reformation in the South African tech industry, and it needs to take place very soon," says Dr Mansingh.

South Africa's tech sector is brimming with potential, but unlocking its full potential requires strategic investment in talent development.

With an estimated shortage of 20,000 to 70,000 skilled professionals in fields such as cybersecurity, AI, and software development, the demand for expertise far exceeds the supply. This gap presents a powerful opportunity: to reimagine how we educate, train, and retain our brightest minds.

Like the rest of the world, South Africa is eager to enhance its technological infrastructure to become a global competitor in a robust digital economy. However, it faces a uniquely African challenge: our top talent being poached by European and Asian markets that have the same ambitions. Dr Mansingh says that this needs to be addressed as a matter of urgency.

"If South Africa fails to address its cyber and tech talent shortage, the long-term implications for the digital economy are stark. Organisations will face higher cyber risks, as fewer skilled professionals will mean slower detection and containment of breaches, driving costs into the tens of millions of rand per incident. Digital transformation projects will stall due to a lack of expertise in cloud, AI, and cybersecurity, making businesses more reliant on expensive foreign vendors. Over time, this shortage erodes competitiveness, reduces local innovation capacity, and weakens the country's position as a digital hub, ultimately undermining economic growth and investor confidence," she says.

She adds that the ongoing brain drain strips South Africa of its most experienced cyber and ICT professionals, directly reducing the country's ability to innovate and build intellectual property. Without senior talent to mentor teams or lead projects, innovation cycles slow, while the ability to adopt and secure emerging technologies like AI and advanced cybersecurity tools becomes limited. "This skills gap makes South Africa less competitive on the global stage and signals risk to potential investors, as talent depth is a key driver of foreign direct investment. In effect, the brain drain is not only a talent issue but a strategic economic threat that impacts growth and global positioning."

It has been widely reported that Gen Z workers are not as solely motivated by salaries as Boomers, Gen X and Millennials. To them, competitiveness needs to be displayed beyond their salary. Dr Mansingh says that capitalising on this may prove to be an innovative way to address the current brain drain and create a sustainable pool of talent.

She points out that companies need to look beyond pay scales and instead build meaningful career pathways and supportive work environments to retain local tech talent. This includes offering transparent promotion frameworks, structured mentorship, and opportunities for continuous professional learning, such as industry certifications and funded training. Embedding flexible work arrangements, prioritising employee wellbeing, and designing roles around impactful, mission-critical projects can also increase job satisfaction. Recognition, equity participation, and opportunities for short-term global rotations further solidify professionals' commitment to local roles, making them feel valued and invested in their careers at home.