Abstract

Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) have transformed various aspects of human life today, business included. In business organisations, ICT possess the potential of enhancing organisational processes and could contribute to their bottom-line performance. However, there is a critical shortage of ICT-related skills in South Africa, a challenge which motivated the present literature review. The objectives of the review were to establish the major ICT skills that are in demand within South African business organisations; to determine the causes of ICT skill shortages in South Africa, and to suggest possible solutions for ICT skills shortage in South African business organisations. A systematic review of the literature was done by searching the Web of Science (WoS) and SCORPUS databases. The PRISMA framework was relied on for question development whilst several inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied. A total of seven (7) articles were included in the review. The major findings were that there is a high demand for soft ICT-related skills in South Africa. Some of the major skills that are needed in the job market are graphic designing, automation, content creation, software development and social networking. The major causes of ICT skills shortage in South Africa are skills mismatches, potential costs of integrating ICTs, country effects and a skills-oriented economy. Also, there are various firm-level factors which can lead to ICT skills shortages, including the type of firm ownership, its level of innovation and informality. The strategies which can be used to address ICT skills shortages include the use of PPPs, training and education and attending to the current ICT-related policies. The research carries implications on ICT policy development because the findings directly map the root causes of ICT skills shortage.

Authors

Mika Mugogo
University of Johannesburg, South Africa

Keywords

ICTs; Skills; Skill Shortages; Skills Demand; Skills Supply; Business Organisations; South Africa