The Gender Gap in SA’s ICT Sector: A Crisis of Leadership

The South African ICT sector is stuck in a rut, with women struggling to break through the glass ceiling and reach middle management positions. According to Wabo Majavu, executive of strategy and business operations at Africa Data Centres, the pace of transformation is glacial, with women facing a daunting climb up the corporate ladder.

Majavu’s words are a stark reminder of the harsh reality facing women in the ICT sector. Despite the increase in female representation at entry-level positions, the numbers dwindle significantly at the top, with women holding only a tiny fraction of leadership positions.

The data is stark: according to the Commission for Employment Equity, African women make up a mere 10% of the ICT sector’s workforce, while white males dominate the top levels of management. The statistics are a damning indictment of the sector’s failure to address its diversity and inclusion issues.

But Majavu is not one to mince words. She believes that the solution lies in a radical overhaul of the sector’s approach to diversity and inclusion. "We need to stop talking about diversity and inclusion and start doing something about it," she says. "We need to ring-fence the core functions of our organisations and monitor transformation based on incoming and outgoing female talent. We need to make succession planning a priority and incorporate tools of change to measure the rate and impact of transformation."

The consequences of inaction are dire. Without a radical shift in the sector’s approach to diversity and inclusion, women will continue to be shut out of leadership positions, and the sector will continue to struggle to attract and retain top talent.

But there is hope. The growing STEM skills development initiatives established as part of partnerships between government and the corporate sector are starting to bear fruit. As more young girls are encouraged to enter STEM fields, the sector is slowly starting to see a shift in the demographics of its workforce.

The clock is ticking, however. If the sector fails to act, it risks being left behind in the global digital economy. The stakes are high, but the reward is worth it: a more diverse and inclusive sector that is better equipped to drive innovation and growth in the years to come.