Less than a quarter of South African technology jobs are held by women and the obvious solution to getting more young females involved in ICT is to harness the power of ICT.
That’s according to ICTGlobe, a leading independent business communication provider and veteran of the local tech scene. “While Commission for Employment Equity (CEE) statistics show a gradual improvement in the male to female ratio in the Information and Communications Technology sector since 2020, African females still only account for just over 21% of ICT sector employees in the most recent CEE report. Clearly, something’s got to be done – and fast,” says Rad Jankovic, ICTGlobe’s Co-CEO: Business Development & Finance.
The world’s most sustainable economies are always well-balanced and the approach of another Youth Month is an opportune time for South Africa to recommit itself to gender parity in ICT.
Interestingly, the 25% figure noted above is lower than the comparable UNESCO figure of 30% for the entire sub-Saharan Africa region. This means that continental powerhouse South Africa is trailing behind its own region when it comes to female participation in the tech sector.
To get South Africa – at least – up to the level of its neighbours, ICTGlobe believes in the power of technology to solve technology sector challenges and presents these pointers for young women wanting to make their mark in ICT, seek out mentoring organisations active in the ICT sector like:
- SA Women in ICT Forum (www.sawiict.co.za)
- Women in Tech ZA (www.womenintech.co.za)
- Women in ICT (www.womeninict.co.za)
- Women in Tech SA ( www.women-in-tech.org)
Together have a mission to boost female participation in technology while preparing them for the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
Linkedin has emerged as the most important business networking tool since the business card. First sign up and get your profile in order with a professional-looking photo and sensible posts, and then consider signing up for the premium version. For a relatively modest amount, you’ll be able to directly message potential mentors and employers who are not yet in your network.
Along with Linkedin’s established legitimacy as a business networking tool, comes its growing legitimacy as an educational platform. Use the growing acceptance and reputation of learning via LinkedIn to boost your educational credentials. LinkedIn video courses taught by industry experts are often free and can help you build important skills while hunting for that dream job.
While LinkedIn rules business networking, don’t overlook any other social profiles you may have that are publicly visible online. Do a social media audit of yourself to ensure every one of your profiles has a polished, positive and enthusiastic feel. If you’re interested in a career in the tech sector, regularly post engaging content that’s related to your future job.
Finally, demonstrate your bona fide enthusiasm for your ICT calling by actively seeking out free webinars, online workshops and virtual conferences you can attend from the comfort of anywhere. This is an excellent way to start getting noticed, especially if you do your research and put your hand up in Zoom and similar online meetings to ask insightful questions.
ICTGlobe provides reliable and affordable voice, communication and connectivity high-tech solutions that already empower hundreds of organisations nationwide to more easily achieve their business goals. In addition, ICTGlobe appreciates the positive role it can play in enabling its many employees and business partners to achieve their life goals this Youth Month, and beyond.
“A diversified workforce is a proven way to develop the most innovative and profitable solutions which means more women in the ICT sector makes total business sense,” concludes Jankovic.
ICTGlobe is a premium independent business communication provider with a reputation for offering flexibility in pricing, terms, conditions and more to the end SME and enterprise clients. With a distribution channel throughout South Africa, and a growing global reach, ICTGlobe’s renewed vision for 2024 and beyond is to enable both reseller and client business partners to achieve their own growth aspirations.
