The local technology skills shortage has been well documented over time, with recent statistics underscoring not only a dearth of technical expertise in South Africa, but also a concerning youth unemployment rate. New figures from Statista show a staggering number of unemployed youth (15 to 24 years), reaching 60,7% in the second quarter of 2023.
Statista further noted higher unemployment rates for women than men since the start of 2016, measured at almost 36 percent in the second quarter of 2023, as opposed to 30% respectively. From a technology point of view, a report released earlier this year by SAP Africa, called ‘Africa’s Tech Skills Scarcity Revealed‘, disclosed that three-quarters of the South African, Kenyan and Nigerian organisations surveyed reported negative effects from a lack of technical skills; including struggling to meet client needs (46%), reduced capacity for innovation (53%), and losing customers to competitors (60%