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 marks Cyber Security Awareness Month during October, our position as an emerging digital economy is scrutinised.
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 to position SA 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.
SA’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, Artificial Intelligence (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, SA 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.
If SA 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.
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 SA 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 (born between 1997 and 2012) are not as solely motivated by salaries as Boomers, Gen X and Millennials. To them, competitiveness needs to be displayed beyond their salary. Capitalising on this may prove to be an innovative way to address the current brain drain and create a sustainable pool of talent.
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.
Government also has a role to play in addressing the tech talent gap. This requires government and industry to collaborate more intentionally around skills development. Existing incentives, such as the Skills Development Levy and the Section 12H Learnership Allowance, should be streamlined to make it easier for companies to reclaim funds for priority digital pipelines. Public-private partnerships can be leveraged to establish cyber ranges, innovation hubs, and co-funded training academies at universities and TVET colleges. Furthermore, government projects could favour companies that demonstrably invest in local skills development, while targeted return programmes could encourage SA professionals abroad to contribute to local upskilling efforts.
Strengthening partnerships between academia and industry is key. By aligning curricula with market needs and embedding work-integrated learning, we can equip graduates with practical, future-ready skills. Expanding access to Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education, especially in disadvantaged communities, and incentivising private sector investment will ensure a more inclusive and sustainable talent pipeline.
Equally important is retention. Competitive compensation, career development pathways, and a culture of continuous learning can transform local companies into magnets for top-tier talent. When SA professionals see a future of growth and impact at home, they stay, and they lead.
Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) and industry advisory boards are critical in closing the gap between academic training and labour market needs. WIL exposes students to real-world environments such as cybersecurity operations centres, data labs, and industry projects, ensuring graduates are job-ready. Advisory boards, made up of employers and industry experts, can keep curricula current by aligning academic content with emerging skills shortages in areas like cloud security, AI ethics, and digital forensics. Together, these mechanisms ensure that higher education produces graduates who are not only academically qualified but also practically equipped to meet the demands of industry.
SA’s tech professionals are among the most capable and creative in the world. By nurturing their growth, supporting their ambitions, and creating environments where innovation and security coexist, we can reverse the trend of talent migration and usher in a new era of digital leadership. The path forward is clear: prioritise cybersecurity investment, champion local expertise, and create a future where SA technologists choose to stay and build their careers at home rather than seeking opportunities abroad.
■ Dr Aradhana Mansingh is a former human resources executive, gender research specialist, and empowerment coach.
