On 26 October 2005, at the Annual Computer Society of SA`s (CSSA) President`s Banquet, Ntsundeni Madzunya, CIO of the South African Post Office (SAPO), was announced IT Personality of the Year.
He was selected from six strong candidates for his ongoing visionary work in turning around systems and staff at SAPO.
The ICT Leadership Award went to Basie Von Solms, head of department of the Academy for Information Technology at the University of Johannesburg.
An additional special award, the ICT Social Responsibility Award, was specially created to recognise the contribution made by Kobus Van Wyk in his work as the Khanya project manager in the Western Cape.
The other finalists were Masedi Molosiwa, executive director of the Cape IT Initiative (CITI); Barry Dwolatzky, professor of software engineering at Wits University and Thoko Mokgosi-Mwantembe, CEO of HP SA.
While these nominees came from diverse backgrounds with different areas of focus in their business activities, they spoke strongly about the need for skills development in SA. The general consensus was that government and corporations of today should be focusing their energy on developing the IT personalities of tomorrow.
According to a 2004 study by Accenture, The Digital Opportunity Initiative, this country is facing a significant "brain drain" in technical and entrepreneurial ICT skills, with an estimated 200 to 300 ICT-skilled resources leaving SA each month. This is caused by the rapid growth in demand for ICT skills worldwide and little opportunity (jobs, remuneration and innovation) in SA.
The study notes that the lack of relevant content and applications is still a significant problem locally. The incorporation of ICT into education has been hampered by the lack of relevant information and infrastructure.
Challenging the stakeholders
Von Solms believes the country needs to focus its resources on facilitating research into information technology. "Industry is not allowing students to go further than a junior degree at university. Because of the huge demand for skills, these students are being offered jobs before they have reached honours level and thus don`t even have a chance to develop their research skills."
Because of the huge demand for skills, students are being offered jobs before they have reached honours level and thus don`t even have a chance to develop their research skills.
Basie Von Solms, head of department, Wits Academy for Information Technology
He challenges industry to be more proactive towards ICT and education: "I know the CSSA is doing much to represent industry in this regard. Industry and academia together need to create a body which will serve as a link between the two in an effort to better serve the industry when it comes to the skills needed."
Thoko Mokgosi-Mwantembe of HP SA agrees, saying the onus is on industry to play a more active role in ensuring that the skills requirements in the country are met.
"We need to catch up, in terms of the skills base that is being produced in this country. Companies are making an effort, but it is not balanced. I agree that there needs to be a common facility formed where business and education can share ideas."
In keeping with the common thread of education being the best way to curb the skills shortage, Prof Barry Dwolatzky of Wits University says learners are not getting the right information while in school about ICT career possibilities. There are a many instances where learners make the wrong choices due to lack of information, he says, when it comes to the path they want to follow in university.
"Interest in software studies is confused. Schools don`t empower the learners with the right information so they can make educated decisions on their career paths," he says.
Historically, the education infrastructure has been segregated and unequal and ICT provision in schools reflects this. Approximately 50% of schools have no infrastructure to support ICT use among students. Though government and industry have made vast improvements in this regard, the dire need for communication between the two has become apparent in current situations where rural schools find themselves with fully equipped computer laboratories but no electricity or skilled educators to offer courses and integrate this technology into the curricula.
In addition, the current education system has been slow to meet market needs. ICT courses are only available in universities and technikons.
It is only recently that the Department of Education has endeavoured to revise the curricula to include ICT courses at primary and secondary levels and ICT-specific learning centres.
Meeting social responsibilities
It was for this reason the CSSA felt that the work done by those who are directly involved in putting vast efforts towards introducing ICT into the education of young scholars should be recognised.
After much consideration, the ICT Social Responsibility award was given to Kobus Van Wyk for his efforts towards the success of the Western Cape`s Khanya project.
There needs to be a common facility formed where business and education can share ideas.
Thoko Mokgosi-Mwantembe, CEO, HP SA
This project, which aims to use technology to support what is being taught in classrooms, is a Western Cape provincial government initiative which, in the past four years, has reached over 400 schools and almost 320 000 learners.
"With this project we are trying to balance technology with the objectives of the education policies. Software has been introduced that makes it so that even in the absence of the educator, the children still remain engaged and can walk out of that lesson having learnt something," explains Van Wyk.
Schools need to be technically independent, he continues. "The managers of schools need to understand how to manage and use IT. We are now experimenting with teaching via video. We would ideally like to see a situation where educators can teach more than one classroom of learners at a time using satellite technology."
Bringing in a fresh approach, CITI`s Masedi Molosiwa says SA needs to determine the space in which it wants to be a strong global competitor.
"We need to find out what we, as a nation want to be internationally recognised for, in terms of ICT skills and expertise. We then need to incorporate that objective into our education system," he states. It is also vital that the education system assists children to starts developing an interest in technology from a young age: "Today there are still many South African children who are not yet familiar with a PC and introducing it at a young age would go a long way to achieving the goal of cultivating a large ICT skills base."
Meet the winners
Winner: IT Personality of the Year
Ntsundeni Madzunya
CIO, SAPO
Professional achievements:
* Launched IBM`s BEE partner programme called Andisa while employed as business development executive.
* Was executive director responsible for technology (IT, telecommunication, broadcasting) during the Cape Town 2004 Olympic bid. SA was short-listed based on its sound technical preparedness.
* SAPO won the Technology Award for its biometrical payment system last year and was an e-commerce finalist at the World Mail Awards last year.
Leadership qualities:
* Spent more than R1.6 million on staff training in 2004 and is continuously upgrading the organisation`s skills.
* SAPO`s technology division boasts one of the largest, most sophisticated and most secure technical infrastructures in the southern hemisphere.
* Assisted the post office to win the ICT Most Progressive Company Award in 2004.
Social responsibility:
* SAPO IT is involved in on the job training of IT professionals in collaboration with Isett Seta. Madzunya instituted the same kind of training programme with the Wits Technikon 15 years ago. There are a number of ICT professionals who are products of his training programme.
* Reduced the digital divide by deploying public Internet terminals throughout the country and increased financial accessibility through the Post Bank.
Winner: ICT Leadership Award
Professor Basie Von Solms
HOD Academy for Information Technology, University of Johannesburg
Professional achievements:
* Has played a major role in getting the University of Johannesburg`s Academy of IT accredited by the British Computer Society in 2005.
* Von Solms sees himself as the "father" of a wide array of information security courses presently offered by SA universities and the recognition SA is presently getting on international level for its research work in information security. He offered the first course in information security in 1990.
* Elected as chairman of the International Federation for Information Processing`s (IFIP) Technical Committee 11 (information security) for two consecutive terms (1996 to 1998 and 1999 to 2001). He was subsequently elected as international VP and chairman of the IFIP`s technical assembly. He has now been asked to avail himself for IFIP`s presidency.
Leadership qualities:
* The staff complement at the academy is said to one of the most stable of most universities in SA. Von Solms has been head of department for 27 years.
* He was the main driver for the establishment of The Institute for the Governance of IT Risk and Information Security in 2003.
Social responsibility:
Von Solms involved the academy in a computer literacy programme run by the Metropolitan Evangelical Service - an organisation, which looks after the needy and workless in Johannesburg`s Hillbrow area. The academy is responsible for quality control, syllabus content, and monitoring. Several people who completed the course have found employment.
Other relevant achievements:
* A fellow of the CSSA.
* Member of the British Computer Society and Charted Information Technology Practitioner.
Winner: ICT Social Responsibility Award
Kobus Van Wyk
Manager, Western Cape`s Khanya project
Professional achievements:
* Van Wyk was instrumental in developing Khanya from concept form to a highly successful project. The project`s major strength is the innovative application of existing technology in the education sector.
* To date, over 400 schools and about 340 000 learners have benefited from the Khanya project.
* The project was a finalist and winner at the 2004 Stockholm Challenge (education sector) for innovative use of ICT. In the same year the project also won the Standard Bank CPSI Public Sector Innovation Award.
Leadership qualities:
* Van Wyk has run the project successfully on a commercial basis in what he calls a "bureaucratic" environment.
* A special section has been set up in Khanya to care for public-private partnerships. Its task is to build relationships with the private sector to foster support for the project. So far the team has secured R30 million in financial donations, together with other integral forms of intangible support.
Social responsibility:
* Khanya is making a significant contribution to the development needs of communities in the Western Cape. The learners at the schools are the primary beneficiaries of the computer facilities, since they interact with the technology on an ongoing basis and are thus are getting vital computer skills.
* Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are assisted and encouraged to provide technical, maintenance and training support to schools. This ensures the sustainability of the investment made in schools, but also stimulates the further development of these SMEs.
* Khanya has put forth special efforts to assist schools for disabled learners, particularly the deaf, blind, physical and mentally handicapped.
Other relevant achievements:
* While Khanya is restricted to the Western Cape, the model is freely available to the entire country, as well as other countries in Africa. Other provinces and corporations who see technology in education as a business opportunity are consulting Khanya.
* In his private capacity, Van Wyk has studied sign language. He is now a proficient interpreter, who in his spare time, uses his skills to lecture and support deaf adult groups who have not had access to quality education.
Finalists
Thoko Mokgosi-Mwantembe
CEO, HP SA
Professional achievements:
* Mokgosi-Mwantembe played an active role in developing and implementing HP SA`s broad based empowerment strategy.
* She is one of only a few female CEOs within the South African ICT sector and the first black woman to be appointed at the helm of a US-based multinational company in SA.
* Prior to being at HP, she played an integral role in the re-branding and re-positioning of Telkom SA as a business solutions provider by changing perceptions of the company of just being a telephone provider.
Leadership qualities:
* More inclined to lead by example, Mokgosi-Mwantembe believes that the quality of work delivered by HP is projected onto its customers, which, in turn is reflected in a better bottom-line.
* Encourages an entrepreneurial spirit in every HP staff member, as she is averse to micro-management. She does, however, stress that she is always readily available to support and advise her staff.
Social responsibility:
* The HP i-community was established as a three-year public-private partnership with the Limpopo provincial government and the Mogalakwena municipality. The transfers included the implementation documentation for all major i-community programmes. The ICT infrastructure established in municipal community access points involves skills transfer and training of the assigned government personnel.
* HP supports NEPAD initiatives that will see effective use of ICT to provide scholars with basic functional skills for the new knowledge economy and information society. The multinational is also taking part in the e-schools pilot project, which commenced in October this year and was rolled-out in three schools in Limpopo, North West and Mpumalanga.
Other relevant achievements:
* As CEO, Mokgosi-Mwantembe has assisted HP reach a number of milestones including the appointment of the following business partners: Matomo Technologies to assemble HP`s D230 desktop PC`s, MIT as HP services and repairs partner, the appointment of 10 corporate enterprise resellers and more than 100 SMB resellers.
Masedi Molosiwa
Executive director, CITI
Professional achievements:
* Has focused on driving the initiative to promote Cape Town and SA as a global IT hub and gateway into Africa.
* Molosiwa was recently re-elected as co-chairman of the Internet Service Providers Association. He is also a non-executive director of Exhibitions for Africa and Cycan. He is passionate about using every contact he has, to develop and further the opportunities for local ICT businesses.
Leadership qualities:
* His diverse interests and business connections have significantly benefited a number of CITI`s members, as well as assisting government in isolating new potential partners for their developing initiatives.
* Believes in leading by example and allows staff to grow to their potential.
Social responsibility:
* Through the Bandwidth Barn and the CITI membership, Molosiwa has facilitated the launch of conservation initiatives such as Polo and Friends - an organisation that aims to empower and educate the community on how to become actively involved in sustainable conservation projects.
* His most recent campaign has been to initiate the Western Cape Open Source Audit. The results will be used by the Western Cape Provincial Government to channel funds to assist developing businesses in becoming fully-fledged BEE participants.
Other relevant achievements:
* Has made vast contributions to the development of the ICT charter.
* As a result of his commitment, CITI now offers the Launchpad, which supports, subsidises and hosts black ICT entrepreneurs. In 2005 seven out of the first 10 young companies graduated from the programme and are now self-sustained and fully operational businesses.
Barry Dwolatzky
Professor of software engineering, Wits University
Professional achievements:
* Was one of the first SA academics to introduce objective orientation into the engineering curriculum in the early 1990s.
* Developed the 'information engineering` degree in the Wits School of Electrical and Information Engineering.
* Developed Master of Engineering programmes in both information engineering and telecoms engineering and then registered them in 2004 as level seven learnerships with the Isett Seta.
* Currently implementing detailed plans to bring CMMI certification to SA through the JCSE.
Leadership qualities:
* Representing the cause of software engineering excellence within Wits and developing relationships with stakeholders, sponsors and supporters in locally and abroad.
* Currently serving as a research advisor in the area of ICT for Eskom.
Social responsibility:
* Since the mid-1990s, more than half of the 100 undergraduate students entering the programmes per year at Wits are black. The Level - 7 learnerships Dwolatzky pioneered have allowed black engineers to acquire high-level software development skills.
Other relevant achievements:
* Over the past three years, Dwolatzky spends 10 days per year at the University of Dar es Salaam advising the faculty and carrying out external examiner duties in the software engineering courses.
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