ENHANCING ECONOMIC PARTICIPATION, UPLIFTING LIVES
SASOL ENERGY MARKETING AND SALES is creating job opportunities for young people, developing health services and supporting early childhood development in fenceline communities
Sasol Energy Marketing and Sales has an extensive retail footprint throughout South Africa, with a network of Sasolbranded convenience centres. These fuel forecourts, the franchisee owners and their employees are cornerstones of the communities in the regions where they operate, providing fuel products and other retail convenience services while creating jobs and investing in society.
“Although Sasol invests primarily in fenceline communities surrounding our retail sites, we understand our role as a good corporate citizen in communities near our operations,” says Zanele Hadebe, vice president for marketing, Sasol Energy Marketing and Sales.
“We are committed to ensuring our investments result in enhanced economic participation, contributing to growth and improved quality of life within the communities where we operate by driving our shared-value principles.”
With an investment of around R40-million into the corporate social impact (CSI) portfolio, Sasol Energy Marketing and Sales has delivered a range of impactful programmes that create value for all stakeholders.
Key investment areas include:
• Our early childhood education (ECD) programme is aimed at ensuring that children aged 0-6 years are cognitively stimulated and better equipped to handle maths and science simulations when they start schooling.
• Better life opportunities through our Bridge-to-Work programme, which instils an entrepreneurial mindset and facilitates workplace experiences for unemployed graduates.
• The provision of medical and mental health services to gender-based violence and femicide victims, particularly in underserved
or far- ung communities where nurses and counsellors are hard to come by.
BRIDGE-TO-WORK PROGRAMME
Bridge-to-Work is Sasol’s key intervention in job creation. This programme aims to improve food security and reduce unemployment in Sasol’s fenceline communities countrywide.
In a t-for-purpose programme to give unemployed graduates a foot in the employment door, Sasol Energy Marketing and Sales entered into a strategic partnership with the Energy and Water Sector Education and Training Authority (EWSETA) and New Age Engineering Solutions (NAES) to nd engineers, artisans and support staff.
This initiative aims to equip unemployed graduates with technical and project management experience and upskill them in renewable energy know-how to improve their market relevance and competitiveness. One hundred opportunities were created across the Free State, Mpumalanga and Western Cape provinces.
NAES is a Sasol service provider that specialises in providing an experienced workforce for the annual plant shutdowns and maintenance, installation and repairs and welding engineering. NAES employs the graduates for 12 months.
Mbali Magazi, 22, who holds a diploma in IT, expresses appreciation for this programme, saying she now possesses the confidence to enter any work environment due to the programme, guidance and helpfulness of her supervisor. While still worried and anxious about the programme ending and the current job climate, she feels the experience has given her a competitive advantage.
As a government institution responsible for the Skills Levy management and enablement of the responsiveness of post-school education and training to the world of work, the Energy and Water SETA ensures these youths are recipients of practical education that makes them employable and affords each the possibility of social mobility.
Graduates at NAES getting the skills and experience needed for future employment.
Another graduate of the programme, Dimpho Kwasu, 25, who is based at NAES as a facilitator, is immensely grateful for the stipend she receives. “I have registered at Unisa to further my studies and use the stipend to fund my tuition – something that would have been impossible without the programme. I am currently doing my honours and the laptop I receive from work assists me in doing my assignments and submitting on time,” she says.
Joseph Zinyana, chief executive of cer at NAES, says: “The programme highlights the importance of aligning business practices with an important societal issue – unemployment –as it bene ts the individuals involved and contributes to business sustainability in South Africa. It is a positive example of businesses coming together to provide opportunities for young people.”
Mpho Mookapele, chief executive of cer at EWSETA, adds: “This programme not only seeks to establish a comprehensive renewable energy education and industry system in the country’s TVET colleges, but also to enhance the international standards of South African TVET colleges over the next ve to ten years.”
COMMUNITY HEALTH AND SERVICE INFRASTRUCTURE
Improving communities’ quality of life through enabling access to community health and service infrastructure is a key strand of Sasol Energy’s CSI programme. One of the key initiatives for the current year is a partnership with youth health nonpro t organisation (NGO)
loveLife to address gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF) in South Africa.
The three-year initiative focuses on raising awareness and providing care and support to victims in six communities near Sasol retail sites in Gauteng. A loveLife mobile clinic, sponsored by Sasol and launched on 27 June 2024, has created employment opportunities for a psychologist and registered nurse to offer free, con dential and inclusive support, counselling and educational services to GBVF victims and their family members. A healthy lifestyle provider, GroundBREAKER, whose key role is mobilising youth to access health services, was also employed as part of the mobile clinic’s staff.
loveLife, headquartered in Sandton, Gauteng, operates nationally, delivering comprehensive youth health services through its network of 24 youth centres. It provides educational, recreational and sexual health services, aligned with the World Health Organization’s de nition of youth health as a state of physical, mental and social wellbeing.
“It is essential to provide holistic psychosocial support for people whose lives have been shattered by GBVF. We are proud to collaborate with loveLife to address GBVF in some of the most affected communities, fostering safer environments, building awareness, creating jobs and ultimately helping to prevent GBVF,” says Hadebe.
EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT SUPPORT
Early childhood development is one of Sasol’s social impact priorities. This is aligned with the Fourth Sustainable Development
Goal, which seeks to ensure inclusive, equitable education and promote lifelong learning for all, and the National Development Plan (NDP) mandate to provide every child with a minimum of two years of pre-primary school exposure before basic schooling.
Sasol supports a comprehensive approach to ECD that consists of learner support interventions, entailing the provision of nutrition, an inclusive child-centred learning programme and parental support, practitioner training, including accredited skills-based activities, infrastructure and environment improvement, the provision of learning resources and management and leadership support.
Sasol Energy Marketing and Sales supports a range of ECD programmes through the Sasol Friendly Neighbour Programme. This is a social impact initiative designed to uplift fenceline communities near Sasol convenience stations in collaboration with franchise owners. Sasol backs franchisees by supporting initiatives aligned with Sasol’s Social Impact strategy pillars.
One of the key projects for this year is a partnership with Benoni-based NGO, The Almond Tree, which is dedicated to the care and protection of vulnerable babies and children. The needs of this ECD include, among other things, an ITC/coding robotics teacher, an occupational therapist and a speech therapist. Quali ed and experienced individuals have lled these roles and the needs of the children at Almond Tree are being met.
SASOL
SKILLS
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INNOVATION, INCLUSIVITY AND INSPIRATION
Among all the doom and gloom we are bombarded with daily, it is nice to report that an international study found young South Africans among the most innovative in the world. It is also wonderful to report on our discussions with young people in the year South Africa celebrates 30 years of democracy. They speak frankly about their education and desire to plough back into society. These young people know what they want out of life and understand the importance of not forgetting the community they come from.
Unemployment is one of the biggest problems facing South Africa. In this publication, we ask important questions about the role of TVET colleges and SETAs in creating technical skills that could help reduce our country’s jobless numbers.
Contents
9 30 YEARS ON
As our country celebrates 30 years of democracy, young people speak about wanting to give back.
13 A NATION OF INNOVATORS
South Africans are among the most innovative people in the world, according to a new study.
We explore the value of artisan training and its potential impact on the unemployment crisis, and we provide some tips for young people wishing to study in this direction. We also focus on people with a particular disability, deafness, and the plans to train them to occupy important jobs in corporates.
There are people actively trying to make a dent in our skills de cit and the high numbers of unemployed, however, they cannot do it on their own and need all the help they can get from government and the private sector. Maybe some of our readers will be inspired to help after reading these stories.
Ryland Fisher Editor
17
TECHNICAL SKILLS
Are TVET colleges and SETAs doing enough to develop critical skills?
20 TECHNOLOGY
The demand for skilled employees in the tech sector is set to increase. The Coding Ground’s training model offers a blueprint for addressing skills shortages and unemployment in developing economies.
23 ARTISAN SKILLS
Is learning a trade a possible solution to our unemployment crisis?
24 ENSURING INCLUSIVITY
We need more inclusivity and employment opportunities for people living with disabilities; and the hearing impaired can be trained to occupy important jobs.
A youthful community of problem-solvers
Celebrating two decades with the SOUTH AFRICAN MATHEMATICS FOUNDATION
The South African Mathematics Foundation (SAMF) is best known for being the organiser of two of the country’s largest mathematics competitions – the Mathematics Challenge (SAMC) for primary school and the Mathematics Olympiad (SAMO) for high school learners. Committees that design the mathematical problems for the question papers for these competitions are deliberate in presenting learners with non-curriculum problems that require participants to think out of the box and apply critical thinking to solve them.
Although both competitions have been around for more than 40 years, the SAMF started building a community for youthful problem-solvers when it took over the administration of the Olympiad in 2005 and the Challenge in 2011. For the past 20 years, the SAMF and its many volunteer mathematics coaches have worked endlessly to create a space where South Africa’s youth can bond and form lifelong friendships with others who enjoy solving puzzles, riddles and mathematical problems.
THE
MATHEMATICS
OLYMPIAD JOURNEY
Malwande Nkonyane (23) and Kgaugelo Bopape (21) say participating in the SAMF’s mathematics competitions is not an event but rather a journey. Malwande was born in Johannesburg and grew up with two sisters. His father is an engineer and his mother is a full-time parent. Growing up, his parents supported his talent for solving complex mathematical problems and encouraged him to do so. His first encounter with a mathematics competition was in Grade 6. He remembers how much he enjoyed the questions being different – it allowed him to think logically about finding ways to solve the puzzles. While in high school, he started participating in the SAMO, and although the questions were very challenging, they inspired him to practise his problem-solving skills.
Mathematical Olympiad (IMO) and Pan-African Mathematics Olympiad (PAMO) from among those who attended these training camps.
Kgaugelo, who grew up in Johannesburg alongside ve siblings and his father, an electrician, and mother, a nurse, also received full support from his parents. They ensured he had access to the SAMF mathematics coaches and training camps. In 2020, he became the country’s rst African learner to earn a medal at the International Mathematics Olympiad in St Petersburg, Russia. Kgaugelo says for many mathematically gifted learners nationwide their biggest barrier to success is the lack of parental support.
MATHEMATICAL FRIENDSHIPS
Malwande and Kgaugelo forged a friendship when the SAMF selected them to represent the country in the 2018 Pan-African Mathematics Olympiad. Malwande was in Grade 12 and Kgaugelo in Grade 10 at the same high school when they travelled to Nairobi, Kenya for the competition. The team of six learners, a team leader and a deputy team leader practised solving mathematical problems for weeks on end, and the team walked away as the winners of this prestigious competition.
Fast-forward to 2024 and Malwande (an investment analyst) is the team leader of the country’s team with Kgaugelo (a mathematics honours student) as the deputy team leader. This year’s Pan-African Mathematics Olympiad takes place at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg from 12 to 22 August. As team leaders, they are responsible for coaching the team of six and preparing them for two tests, consisting of three mathematical problems each, over two days. These tough questions require understanding, creativity and analytical thinking supported by strict evidence if the learners want to follow in the footsteps of their youthful mentors.
As part of the Olympiad, the SAMF organises mathematics training camps for talented learners throughout the year. At these camps, the learners receive coaching from mathematics experts who help them prepare for international participation. Each year, the SAMF selects two teams of learners to represent South Africa in the annual International
FORGING BONDS THROUGH NUMBERS
The SAMF plays a signi cant role in helping South Africa’s youth forge bonds through numbers. Malwande and Kgaugelo, along with hundreds of other youths, are proof of the positive outcomes of the mathematical communities that developed from their journeys of the Mathematics Challenge and Olympiad. Here’s to the next 20 years of cultivating a community of mathematics enthusiasts!
For the past 20 years, the SAMF and its many volunteer mathematics coaches have worked endlessly to create a space where South Africa’s youth can bond and form lifelong friendships with others who enjoy solving puzzles, riddles, and mathematical problems.
THE PEOPLE-FIRST REVOLUTION REDEFINES LAW PRACTICE
Leading with humanity and innovation in the legal world –the Baker McKenzie way. By HAPPY ZONDI
Johannesburg-based global law rm
Baker McKenzie is embracing a culture promoting a sense of belonging and recognition. This approach is believed to not only boost morale, but also drive business success by leveraging the diverse talents and perspectives within the rm. Essentially, it moves from traditional hierarchical structures towards a people-centric perspective that values every team member’s contribution.
This strategy has involved engaging in focus groups to understand each individual’s purpose and career aspirations and highlight their unique story, fostering a culture where everyone –from legal practitioners to human resources, nance, marketing and communications – feels recognised and valued for their expertise.
A SENSE OF BELONGING AND DEEPER CONNECTIONS
Sharing some key areas and insights, Baker McKenzie’s managing partner in Johannesburg, Lerisha Naidu, says: “The future of law rms lies in human connection and belonging. To grow and adapt, employees must sense real belonging. Employees who feel safe and accepted are more productive, open to learning and produce higher quality and more creative work.”
The rm’s People Value Proposition focuses on “deeper connections at work, radical workplace exibility, personal growth and holistic wellbeing”.
“Our People Value Proposition also speaks to our African connectedness, relevant diversity, change agency and rewarding work. This approach has helped us to attract and retain top talent, ensuring our continued success in a competitive market,” Naidu says.
The rm’s values also include trust and respect, collaboration, high performance, ownership, caring widely and nurturing talent.
Says Naidu: “These values align with Baker McKenzie’s global standards and guide how the rm operates. By living these values, the rm
creates a supportive and inclusive environment that empowers employees to excel.”
On the rm’s approach to fostering a diverse and inclusive culture, Naidu says: “Baker McKenzie focuses on meaningful inclusion, diversity and equity (ID&E), setting targets and measuring performance. Our ID&E programme is integrated into all aspects of our operations, ensuring equal access to opportunities and fair performance measurement. This also includes initiatives aimed at increasing female representation in leadership roles and fostering supportive cultures at work and in the community.”
Johan Botes, partner, head of employment in Johannesburg, adds: “We also offer several other tools and programmes aimed at developing skills and nurturing talent. These include study sponsorships, access to BakerAcademy, Associate Journey courses, and the RISE and LIFT programmes. RISE is a 12-month programme designed to advance the visibility and career development of mid- to senior-level associate women, and LIFT is a sponsorship initiative for Baker McKenzie women. The rm also offers Inclusion Circles for peer mentoring and the global BakerLearn platform for leadership development. The Associate Trainee Programme provides international work opportunities, enhancing global knowledge and skills transfer.“
To equip young lawyers with future-proof skills, we recently introduced the Baker Dozen+ Masterclass Series to provide South African law students with corporate law experience and networking guidance. South African law graduates, especially those from underprivileged areas, face many challenges once they have completed their degrees. One of the key issues is obtaining highly soughtafter and limited trainee positions in law rms. This series aims to reach as many law students as possible and offer them valuable law rm engagement. It has already reached over 300 students, helping them make informed decisions about their legal careers.”
The law rm is not just adapting to the future; it is actively shaping it, creating a workplace where everyone can thrive and contribute to its ongoing success. Adding a softer touch to a eld often viewed by many as cold and intimidating will certainly be a welcome change for many would-be law rm clients.
BAKER MCKENZIE
Scan to go to the Baker McKenzie website
Lerisha Naidu
EDUCATION FOR DEMOCRACY
Young people are eager to give back to society, RYLAND FISHER discovers
Some young people born after South Africa became a democracy 30 years ago feel that more can be done to help struggling students. However, they are all eager to give back to the community after completing their studies.
Danté Davids, for instance, is 25 years old and studying computer science in the Netherlands after he could not nd a South African university prepared to accept the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma he had obtained in Brunei.
He says he had converted his results via the South African Quali cations Authority (SAQA), but was still rejected by South African universities. He nally ended up at the Vrije University in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, where he is completing his thesis for his computer science degree.
“The computer science eld is incomprehensibly large, and there is always a novel advancement to get excited about. I am using tools in ways that were not imagined before, and this aspect is where I believe South Africa can truly bene t. I see South Africans as people who are not satis ed with ‘it’s not possible’. We will make a plan, we will make it happen, there is no impossible.”
Tatum Russell, 29, studied at a private fashion institution in Gauteng where she obtained her BA degree in fashion media in 2018.
“Throughout my schooling career I always felt that I wanted to be in the creative industry –this was driven by my curiosity about design and its relation to everyday people. I recognised that the fashion industry played a prominent role in society when it came to expression and identity.
“To date, I have used my quali cation to work within the fashion media production industry, having an opportunity to work closely with creatives and well-known brands. In 2020, I pivoted my career to use my design and systems thinking abilities and creativity within other industries as a way to see tangible impact through empowerment.
“I have a deep passion and belief in South Africa and the African continent as an innovation hub and opportunity to leverage the talent within communities.”
“I HAVE A DEEP PASSION AND BELIEF IN SOUTH AFRICA AND THE AFRICAN CONTINENT AS AN INNOVATION HUB AND OPPORTUNITY TO LEVERAGE THE TALENT WITHIN COMMUNITIES.” – TATUM RUSSELL
in managing their condition. This experience ignited a passion in me to make a difference by creating diabetic-friendly food solutions. South Africa ranks as the second highest country in terms of diabetes prevalence, and I felt a strong calling to contribute to addressing this health issue in my community. I intend to use what I have learned to positively impact South Africa’s health landscape.”
Lok, who grew up in Hong Kong for 15 years, studied and worked in South Africa. She is uent in English, Mandarin and Cantonese and is learning isiZulu “as I love the diversity of people and the power of collaboration”.
Xolisa Gwadiso, 25, is completing his master’s in research psychology at the University of the Western Cape. “I chose research psychology because I wanted to investigate people, to have a deeper understanding of them, their thoughts, how communities function, what makes people do the things they do in society, whether good or bad, and to understand what can we do to change matters for the better,” he says.
Faeeza Lok studied food science and technology at the University of Pretoria. “My decision to focus on this eld stemmed from a deeply personal motivation. Growing up with many diabetic family members from the Indian side of my family, I witnessed rst-hand the challenges they faced
Gwadiso is grateful to have had NSFAS support for his undergrad studies, “but soon after, I was stranded for postgraduate”.
He was fortunate to have his studies covered by an institutional bursary and sustained himself through tutoring.
“Where I live has been greatly neglected, as with most townships in South Africa. Townships should be economic hubs that contribute to the GDP. There should be no crime and gang violence, and the youth should not be unemployed, especially those with degrees. My journey has been dif cult because others’ journeys are dif cult. It’s all a ripple effect.”
Danté Davids
Tatum Russell
Faeeza Lok
Xolisa Gwadiso
SKILLS
The employee currency of the future
Organisations need to reimagine the future of their workforce, not just in terms of building skills, but also to fundamentally shift the way they approach talent.
By DR DAYALAN GOVENDER , PwC Africa people and
MARTHLE DU PLESSIS, PwC Africa workforce of
The 2024 PwC Global CEO Survey indicates that 45 per cent of CEOs are concerned that the viability of their business in the next decade relies on their ability to reinvent how they create, deliver and capture value.
Skills are the heartbeat of this reinvention, however, the reinvention faces a formidable skills challenge. This is due to two key reasons: almost half of CEOs in sub-Saharan Africa anticipate that labour and skills shortages will have a signi cant impact on the pro tability of their respective industries over the next decade, as reported in the survey, and 60 per cent of CEOs believe the transformation of their business is being compromised by skills gaps in the local labour market, as identi ed in our Putting Skills First report.
At the same time, 33 per cent of employees globally believe the full complement of their skills is not captured by their formal quali cations, job history or job title, as reported in PwC’s 2024 Global Hopes and Fears Survey.
organisation
leader,
and
the future platform
leader
report further highlights that jobs demanding AI specialist skills are outpacing growth in all jobs since 2016, with the number of AI specialist jobs growing 3.5 times faster than all jobs.
The transition to a sustainable economy has also accelerated the importance of green skills, with increasing demand for jobs in this sector. Green skills comprise the knowledge and competencies to ensure organisations operate sustainably and drive their sustainability agenda. Sustainability specialists and environmental protection professionals are expected to grow by 33 and 34 per cent respectively, translating to growth of approximately one million jobs globally, as reported in the World Economic Forum’s The Future of Jobs report This prediction aligns with business leaders’ expectations for the green transition and climate-mitigation investments that are expected to drive job growth.
role, rather than formal quali cations and historical job roles, as noted in the Putting Skills First report. This enables organisations to think differently about talent, considering a diversity of metrics and markers as indicators of future performance and creating new pathways for the transferability and adaption of skills. It’s an approach that prioritises investment in skills development characterised by the integration of skills and innovation and the optimisation of processes and value-creating activities. Skills are the golden thread enabling organisational success. Having the right skills that can be adapted on demand to deliver value is non-negotiable. In this context, recognising that skills are a currency is an undeniable imperative for organisations.
THE DEMAND FOR NEW SKILLS BASED ON GenAI AND GREEN JOBS
Market developments, such as shifting customer expectations, generative arti cial intelligence (GenAI) and the transition to a sustainable economy, are pointing to growing skills gaps and the need for employees to build new competencies. PwC’s recently published AI Jobs Barometer report reveals how skills sought by employers are changing at a 25 per cent faster growth rate in occupations most exposed to AI. The
The fast-changing job market, accelerated technological developments and a transition towards a green economy, highlight how traditional job frameworks are becoming too rigid for companies and employees operating in an ever-evolving labour market. We are pivoting from jobs and entering an era where skills are the currency of the future.
EMBRACING A SKILLS-BASED APPROACH
Now is an opportune moment for organisations to reimagine the future of their workforce. Game-changing research, spearheaded jointly by the World Economic Forum and PwC, rede nes how we understand talent by proposing a “skills- rst” approach.
This approach positions skills and competencies as the primary determinants of an individual’s potential for success in a specialised
Dr Dayalan Govender
Marthle du Plessis
YOUNG AND FULL OF IDEAS
South Africans are among the most driven innovators in the world, according to a 2023 study, writes
Afirst-of-its-kind joint survey, Making the Invisible Visible: Informal Innovation in South Africa, has revealed that 2.5 per cent of South Africans aged 18 and over – more than one million people – have innovated.
The report, compiled by UNDP Accelerator Labs, in partnership with Utrecht University, the University of Johannesburg, and the MIT Sloan School of Management, shows that this percentage is higher than those previously observed in China (2.1 per cent) and South Korea (1.5 per cent). This suggests that informal innovation is not only widespread in South Africa, but also its innovation capacity is underestimated.
INNOVATION OUT OF NECESSITY
University of Johannesburg economics professor Erika Kraemer-Mbula, who co-authored the study, says the de nition of “informal innovation” refers to new and functionally unique products, processes or applications developed by consumers during their leisure time without nancial compensation. “This type of innovation originates directly from households, distinct from those developed within informal business settings,” she says.
TREVOR CRIGHTON
complementary study materials, games and applications to acquire basic skills, including reading and arithmetic, but also to familiarise the younger generation with engineering principles, to mention only a few examples. This nding probably re ects the demographic makeup of the country, with a substantially younger generation and relatively few elderly people.
Professor Kraemer-Mbula says this kind of innovation is driven by necessity – as it is in many emerging economies. “This necessity-driven innovation often comes from a need to nd solutions to speci c social, economic and infrastructural challenges that are not adequately met by existing systems. Households in disadvantaged communities that experience insuf cient access to some basic needs are fertile ground for necessity-driven innovations,” she says.
Many of the innovations uncovered were related to children and education, exceeding what has been observed in other countries. The report says that South Africans develop
“For instance, in the education sector, poor access to quality education and limitations in transport and digital access compel individuals and families to develop innovative solutions. This was particularly visible at the time of the COVID-19 pandemic.”
COLLABORATION DRIVES INNOVATION
The report demonstrates there are four types of informal innovators: users, participators, helpers and vendors. Their innovations are driven by personal need to use their innovation, enjoyment of the innovation process and learning new skills and altruism to help others – the key being collaboration.
“THIS NECESSITY-DRIVEN INNOVATION OFTEN COMES FROM A NEED TO FIND SOLUTIONS TO SPECIFIC SOCIAL, ECONOMIC AND INFRASTRUCTURAL CHALLENGES THAT ARE NOT ADEQUATELY MET BY EXISTING SYSTEMS.” – PROFESSOR ERIKA KRAEMER-MBULA
Vusi Skosana, acting executive of innovation enabling at South Africa’s Technology Innovation Agency (TIA), says collaboration facilitates innovation. “For example, university, industry and government partnerships drive innovation for socioeconomic development. TIA collaborates with other government departments to drive service delivery through innovation,” he says. “An example is the Technology Acquisition and Deployment Fund, which supports locally developed technologies or solutions that seek to solve a speci c service delivery challenge, systems to improve the operational ef ciency and the delivery of basic services in the public sector such as water, connectivity, human settlements, water treatment, energy, safety, waste, ICT, education and sanitation.”
HARNESSING
THE POWER OF INNOVATION
Professor Kraemer-Mbula says to capitalise on the vibrant spirit of household innovation occurring informally in South Africa, it’s essential to provide structured support that bridges the gap between informal ingenuity and problem-solving at the household level and their broader application, particularly through commercialisation.
“Household innovators are often young and full of ideas, but lack basic access to nance, premises and tools. It is important to nd ways to alleviate initial funding barriers, simplify regulations and provide systematic and practical guidance that can help household innovators commercialise their inventions,” she says. “Also, creating platforms for showcasing these innovations can enhance visibility and attract potential investors or partners. Harnessing this grassroots creativity bene ts the whole society.”
Informal Innovation in South Africa Report
Erika Kraemer-Mbula
DOW NLOAD
Vusi Skosana
Revolutionising South Africa’s Economy
In today‘s rapidly evolving landscape, Bosch proudly supports South Africa‘s journey towards innovation and economic growth. We are committed to strengthening economies with our innovative solutions and upskilling initiatives by fostering continuous learning and preparing the workforce for the future.
BRIDGING THE GAP THROUGH TRAINING
South Africa faces a signi cant skills mismatch and experiences a demand for skilled labour often outweighed by supply. Bosch aims to alleviate this challenge by offering comprehensive vocational programmes that equip participants with the necessary skills to support them to participate in the South African economy. Our initiatives span various sectors, including manufacturing, agriculture and mining, where we optimise operations, enhance productivity and contribute to economic growth.
CULTIVATING A CULTURE OF INNOVATION
Our employees are encouraged to explore solutions for real-world challenges; solutions “Invented for Life.” Through collaboration and crossing cultures and contexts, the diversity of our teams drives our success and contributes to the broader economy‘s competitive edge.
Through partnerships with leading local educational institutions, such as schools and universities, we offer various upskilling opportunities that are a pathway towards bridging the skills gap.
Bosch Rexroth Africa offers comprehensive hydraulic and pneumatic training programmes for individuals, covering topics such as hydraulic technology, electro-hydraulics, pneumatics and system-speci c training. Courses are fully accredited and available at the Rexroth HUBB in Johannesburg.
Our Technical Training Centre on-site at our Midrand headquarters is also accredited to trade test Diesel Fuel Injection Technician (653306) and Automotive Electrician
(671208), where apprentices can obtain certi cation to legally work in these elds.
OUR KEY INITIATIVES
Our practical vocational skills training offerings, which include apprenticeships that give hands-on experience, learnerships that provide theory, and on-the-job training, enable students to gain practical experience towards their quali cation.
We also offer a development programme for graduates who are given the opportunity to exercise their acquired skills and knowledge in the workplace.
For our existing employees, we offer continued learning options.
Through internal web-based training, our digital platforms offer learning material on various topics, keeping pace with the latest industry trends and technological advancements.
Collaborative learning platforms encourage knowledge-sharing and continuous self-directed learning through access to extensive resources. The company’s Bursary Scheme nances our employees‘ studies at various institutions, enhancing their career prospects and contributing to the overall competitiveness of South Africa‘s labour force.
OUR VISION FOR THE FUTURE
Our slogan “Invented for life” is linked to improving quality of life not only through offering markets quality products and services, but also by investing in the communities where we operate.
Scan to go to the Bosch website
BOSCH’s
TVET S, SETAS AND THE SCARCE SKILLS SHORTAGE
While TVET colleges and SETAs are well equipped to positively impact youth unemployment and South Africa’s scarce skills shortages, it’s crucial to ensure collaboration with industry, writes
BUSANI MOYO
The Parliamentary Monitoring Group (PMG) reports that on 6 March 2024, “The Portfolio Committee on Higher Education, Science and Innovation convened to receive a brie ng from the Department of Higher Education and Training on the state of governance in the higher education sector as well as the overall performance of the Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETAs) during the sixth administration”.
While the meeting agreed that the SETAs and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Colleges play an important role in generating skills, the PMG report says “a member said that it makes no sense that there is a high unemployment rate when so much focus is placed on developing skills”. This observation leads to an important question: are TVET colleges and SETAs adequately equipped to positively impact youth unemployment and skills shortages in South Africa?
DEFINING THE ROLES
Chapter 3, Section 10 of the Skills Development Act, 1998, stipulates the role of the SETAs, of which there are 21 in South Africa, including:
•identify skills in demand, develop and administer learning programmes and ensure that sector skills plans are implemented;
•undertake quality assurance by accrediting training providers, monitoring the provision of training, registering assessors and
collaborating with Education and Training Quality assurers;
• manage the disbursement of funds received from the training development levy; and
• report to the Minister of Higher Education on the ef cient and effective use of funds.
When the South African government recognised that the country faced a shortfall in specialised skills, it created TVET colleges as the solution.
The statute that created these colleges is the Continuing Education and Training Act (previously known as Further Education and Training Colleges Act) 16 of 2006.
The assumption was that if vocational training is made more accessible, more people, including those from previously disadvantaged groups, will gain the skills they need to nd work. South Africa has 50 registered public TVET colleges.
Explaining the role of TVET colleges, Dr Innocent Sirovha, chief executive of cer at the Agricultural Sector Training Authority (AgriSETA), says: “TVET colleges set up opportunities for students to gain practical work
“The role of TVET colleges is to train, while AgriSETA serves as the project manager through a partnership with THE Department of Public Works and Infrastructure.” – DR INNOCENT SIROVHA
experience with companies that operate in their elds of study.” He adds: “In the process, students can develop practical skills as they train with potential employers. Prospective employers know that these applicants have completed specialised training, have worked in the eld, and are prepared to start in the new role immediately with minimum on-the-job instruction.”
The SETAs and TVET colleges play a complementary role.
For example, in a recent interview, Dr Sirovha talked about his organisation’s collaboration with TVET colleges. He said: “One of AgriSETA’s agship projects is an artisan development partnership to train 400 learners in various trades.”
The initiative was funded to the tune of R66-million. He added: “The role of TVET colleges is to train, while AgriSETA serves as the project manager through a partnership with the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure (DPWI).”
ADEQUATE RESOURCES SLOW ECONOMY
Eubert Mashabane is the chief executive of cer of BankSETA, the authority in enabling skills development and transformation in the broader banking and micro nance sector. When asked whether TVETs and SETAs are equipped to positively impact youth unemployment and South Africa’s scarce skills shortages, he said he believes this is the case.
Mashabane supports the idea that SETAs and TVET colleges are adequately equipped to positively
“ARE THERE ENOUGH PARTNERSHIPS WITH INDUSTRY TO ALSO MAKE SURE THAT WHAT THE TVETS AND THE SETAS PRODUCED GETS CONSOLIDATED INTO THE WORKPLACE FOR LEARNING TO ACTUALLY HAPPEN?” – EUBERT MASHABANE
Eubert Mashabane
Dr Innocent Sirovha
impact youth unemployment, saying: “We are producing them (skills), but they are also sitting as a surplus in our economy, where the economy doesn’t have the means to absorb them at this stage.”
He also comments that funding to the SETAs is generally adequate, as noted in instances where SETAs remain with excess funds at the end of the nancial year. He challenges the industry in this regard: “Raise your hands and say, South Africans, we have spaces in the industry. Can you bring in the youngsters? We can nd the money for that.”
Anyone who wants to determine whether TVET colleges can positively impact the jobs market should look at the numbers. The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) reports: “TVETs boast more than 364 campuses countrywide, serving around 800 000 students per annum, and were introduced as Further Education and Training (FET) colleges with the aim to tackle the skills shortage in South Africa.”
Mashabane believes that asking whether SETAs and TVETs are well equipped to impact youth unemployment positively should be done with an awareness that “after you have produced a skill, the industry also requires that that skill comes with a certain experience”. Therefore, he believes it is not about whether the TVET colleges or SETAs are equipped to produce enough skills, but rather, “are there enough partnerships with industry to also make sure that what the TVETs and the SETAs produced gets consolidated into the workplace for learning to actually happen?”
A CALL FOR STRONGER PARTNERSHIPS
While Mashabane and Dr Sirovha agree on the positive impact of TVETs and SETAs, they each have a proviso. For Mashabane, it is important to update curriculum material regularly in keeping with fast-changing technologies. He suggests: “Institutional TVET partnership is important because it will be able to feed into the curriculum processes of the TVETs.” For Dr Sirovha, it is that “key objectives in strengthening colleges include improving their management and governance, developing the quality of teaching and learning and increasing their responsiveness to local labour markets, improving student support services and developing their infrastructure.”
4IR SKILLS TRAINING
As South Africa continues its digital transformation journey, Ehlanzeni TVET College is shaping the future by equipping youth in Mpumalanga with essential fourth industrial revolution (4IR) skills.
To empower the next generation for future employment, the college has partnered with 4IR skills development institution Forge Academy & Labs and the Media, Information and Communication Technologies Sector Education and Training Authority (MICT Seta).
Under the leadership of its principal, Elias Mbuyane, the college has become a beacon of hope, offering cutting-edge 4IR education in the Ehlanzeni region.
The college’s partnership with Forge has sparked transformative initiatives, fostering innovation and entrepreneurship among the province’s youth.
Twenty-five students recently graduated from a comprehensive learnership programme designed by Forge Academy & Labs and hosted at the college’s 4IR centre at Mlumati Campus, Nkomazi.
Designed to impart vital IT fundamentals, introduce concepts of 5G technology and cultivate skills in digital business creation, the programme encompassed a diverse curriculum covering key 4IR technologies such as robotics, 3D printing, virtual and augmented reality and artificial intelligence.
“We are pleased to see the success of our collaboration with Ehlanzeni TVET College and MICT Seta, which witnessed the establishment of a 4IR centre at Mlumati Campus, Nkomazi. This initiative empowers young individuals in Nkomazi with essential 4IR skills, enabling them to become catalysts for change in their communities,” says Tariq Shurmah, COO of Forge Academy & Labs.
Mbuyane emphasised the programme’s dual focus on theoretical learning and practical application, ensuring participants thoroughly understand 4IR technologies while fostering creativity to address societal challenges.
TRANSFORMING SKILLS DEVELOPMENT IN SOUTH AFRICA
QCTO CEO VIJAYEN NAIDOO shares how the council’s Occupational Qualifications Sub-framework is helping to qualify a skilled and capable workforce
As the Quality Council responsible for the development and management of the Occupational Quali cations Sub-framework (OQSF), the Quality Council for Trades and Occupations (QCTO) has taken the lead in transforming skills development in South Africa. It is doing this through the implementation of the OQSF, which includes ensuring the development of quali cations responsive to labour market demands.
The OQSF forms part of the National Quali cations Framework (NQF) and has quali cations ranging from the general
occupational certi cate at NQF Level 1 to a specialised occupational diploma at NQF Level 8. This broad range of quali cations allows industry access to quali cations at different NQF levels, based on the needs of employees and the occupational pathways in their work environment.
Through the QCTO’s quality partners, the Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETAs), industry has the opportunity to be directly involved in determining the required knowledge and skills for the occupational quali cations needed to train their workforce for speci c occupations. From entry into an occupation to the highest levels of specialist occupational knowledge, the OQSF can accommodate the required levels of competence for skills development.
The QCTO is committed to ensuring that the skills development ecosystem creates an enabling environment that supports human resource development and contributes to alleviating poverty, reducing unemployment and addressing inequalities. With its vision to qualify a skilled and capable workforce, the QCTO strives to transform skills development by implementing the OQSF.
RANGE OF QUALIFICATIONS
The OQSF allows for occupational quali cations, part quali cations and skills programmes to be recognised by the QCTO. This combination of occupational learning programmes means that the skills development ecosystem has the exibility to respond to changes in technology and the world of work. Skills programmes, in particular, allow for a class of quali cation that resembles “short courses” or a form of “microcredentialing”, but is still formally recognised by the QCTO and allows a holder of a skills programme to receive recognition towards a full quali cation if they so choose. As a type of microquali cation, skills programmes can be developed rapidly and provided to learners and the labour market for purposes of upskilling and reskilling.
The QCTO’s ability to provide recognised, quality-assured microcredentials to the nation is just another way the QCTO is transforming skills development in South Africa for the bene t of both individuals and industry.
CREATING OPPORTUNITIES
Occupational quali cations are not only responsive to the rapid changes in technology and the changing nature of jobs of the future, but also enable holders to contribute to the economic growth and development of our country. Together with skills programmes, the OQSF includes occupational and part quali cations across eight NQF levels – related to all sectors of the labour market. This extensive range of occupational quali cations available on the OQSF will lead to increased opportunities in terms of livelihood and employability for learners who achieve them.
The OQSF meets the needs of existing and emerging sectors by ensuring that all learners, professionals, workers, unemployed persons and those classi ed as NEET (not in employment, education or training), are provided the opportunities to equip themselves with relevant and portable competencies that support lifelong employability.
Through the implementation of the OQSF, the QCTO believes learners may nally be given access to current, high-quality learning, thereby contributing to the development of individuals and the growth of businesses through a skilled and capable workforce. The transformation of skills development, therefore, supports the economic growth and development of South Africa and contributes to a brighter future.
QCTO
For more information: 012 003 1800 info@qcto.org.za www.qcto.org.za
Vijayen Naidoo
THE CODING GROUND
Empowering individuals with the skills and confidence to compete in the digital economy changes lives. By
BRENDON PETERSEN
When Jason Suttie’s colleagues walked into his of ce at RMB in 2016 with an audacious plan to quit their jobs and teach coding to township youth, he recognised the spark of a revolution – one that could reshape South Africa’s tech landscape and change countless lives in the process.
That moment gave birth to The Coding Ground, an innovative organisation that has become a powerhouse in addressing South Africa’s critical tech skills gap. Founded in 2017, The Coding Ground offers a comprehensive 18-month curriculum, aiming to create job-ready software developers from some of the country’s most underserved communities.
“The vision was Silicon Africa,” Suttie, now co-founder and managing director of The Coding Ground, explains. “We’ve got smart, entrepreneurial people who just need a chance.”
A HOLISTIC APPROACH TO UPLIFTMENT
But giving people a chance in post-apartheid South Africa, where economic opportunities are still shaped by historical inequalities, requires more than just opening a
coding school. The Coding Ground’s approach is holistic, addressing not only the technical skills gap, but also the myriad socioeconomic barriers that often keep talented individuals from entering the tech industry.
The programme provides transport, food, internet access, laptops and backup generators to ensure students can focus on their studies without worrying about logistical challenges. This comprehensive support system is a game-changer in a country where basic necessities can often hinder access to education.
What truly sets The Coding Ground apart, however, is its rigorous selection process and tailored curriculum. Prospective students undergo psychometric and cognitive ability tests, followed by a two-week boot camp. This helps identify individuals with the aptitude for software development, regardless of their prior exposure to technology.
“We want to make sure people have staying power,” Suttie notes, explaining that a completed Grade 12 education is a minimum requirement. However, he emphasises that the organisation is open to anyone drawn to technology, even if they’ve never switched on a computer.
THE TRAINING
The 18-month curriculum is divided into two parts: 12 months of intensive theory and practical coding experience, followed by 6 months of soft skills training and specialisation, based on partner companies’ needs to ensure graduates are job-ready. The Coding Ground uses open-source resources, such as freeCodeCamp, supplemented with Udemy courses to keep the content current.
The rst year focuses on JavaScript fundamentals, with students learning HTML, CSS, React, Redux and database management with tools such as PostgreSQL.
One of the most impressive aspects of The Coding Ground’s model is its success rate in job placement. Suttie reports that “upwards of 95 per cent” of their graduates secure permanent employment.
TRANSFORMING THE TECH LANDSCAPE
By focusing on diversity and inclusion, particularly targeting black South African youths, The Coding Ground is actively working to transform the demographic landscape of the country’s tech sector.
Partner companies play a crucial role. Organisations such as Zero1 (which manages systems for MTN) and AURA (known for its Uber partnership) not only provide internship opportunities, but also contribute to funding students through a unique “pay it forward” model.
The REDi Holbourne Group, an executive recruitment agency, has been a longstanding partner of The Coding Ground. Its involvement goes beyond nancial support, offering valuable workplace skills training, mock interviews and career counselling.
Jacqui Marthinusen, marketing and communications specialist for the REDi Holbourne Group, explains their involvement:
BY FOCUSING ON DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION, PARTICULARLY TARGETING BLACK SOUTH AFRICAN YOUTHs, THE CODING GROUND IS ACTIVELY WORKING TO TRANSFORM THE DEMOGRAPHIC LANDSCAPE OF THE COUNTRY’S TECH SECTOR.
Sidzinga Maseko
Jason Suttie
“Each of our REDi Holbourne Group team members feels empowered and passionate about helping these students evolve into resilient, con dent and competent candidates for internships and future job placements.”
Sidzinga Maseko, a second-year student at The Coding Ground, shares: “I’m glad I got to learn from the REDi Holbourne Group. It may be easy to get interview tips online, but nothing compares to getting advice tailored to your strengths and weaknesses from your interviewers.”
As the tech industry grapples with the challenges of arti cial intelligence (AI) and automation, The Coding Ground is adapting its curriculum to include emerging trends such as low-code development. This forward-thinking approach ensures graduates are equipped with skills that remain relevant in a rapidly changing job market.
Sarah de Roos, a senior recruiter at REDi Recruitment, highlights the importance of this adaptability: “AI is transforming the job market and we are equipping students with the tech skills to remain employable. For example, while AI-powered automation is replacing routine tasks, skills, such as programming and software development, will always be valuable.”
EXPANSION, INNOVATION AND IMPACT
The Coding Ground aspires to expand geographically, particularly into Cape Town’s burgeoning tech scene. However, challenges remain, including the need for more partner companies and funding to scale their operations.
Acknowledging the challenges, Suttie remains optimistic. “We do want to expand our geographic location,” he says. “At the moment,
EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES
Artificial intelligence (AI) and emerging technologies are fertile ground for skills development, positively impacting our employment landscape, says Chris Erasmus, country manager AWS South Africa. “These innovations create new job categories and enhance existing roles, driving demand for a tech-savvy workforce. As industries adopt AI, we’re seeing a surge in positions such as data scientists, machine learning engineers and AI ethicists.
“Moreover, AI is augmenting human capabilities across sectors, boosting productivity and opening new avenues for creativity and problem-solving.
By embracing these technologies and investing in relevant training, we’re not just preparing for the future of work; we’re actively shaping it, ensuring our workforce remains competitive and adaptable in a rapidly evolving digital economy.”
being self-funded, we’ve got to nd the demand so we can bring the supply.”
The organisation is also exploring new business models, such as managed services for other companies and training young people to t the speci c needs of commercial-sized businesses that may not have their own established training programmes.
As South Africa continues to position itself as a major player in the global tech ecosystem, organisations such as The Coding Ground will play an increasingly vital role. Bridging the skills gap and creating pathways to employment for underserved communities is changing individual lives and contributing to the nation’s broader economic development.
The Coding Ground’s impact extends beyond immediate job placement. Suttie shares that many of their graduates are now buying cars and starting to invest in property, demonstrating the long-term economic bene ts of the programme.
For tech companies looking to tap into a diverse, skilled talent pool, or for individuals
“AI IS TRANSFORMING THE JOB MARKET AND WE ARE EQUIPPING STUDENTS WITH THE TECH SKILLS TO REMAIN EMPLOYABLE.” – SARAH DE ROOS
and organisations interested in supporting this impactful initiative, The Coding Ground offers various ways, from becoming a partner company to providing mentorship or nancial support, to get involved in this transformative project.
The Coding Ground encourages interested parties to see their work rst-hand. “Come and immerse yourself and at the end, we’ll have the conversation around what can happen,” Suttie invites.
As the digital economy continues to grow and evolve, the need for skilled software developers is set to increase.
The Coding Ground’s training model and its focus on those who might otherwise be left behind by the digital revolution offers a blueprint for addressing skills shortages and unemployment in developing economies. With The Coding Ground leading the charge, South Africa’s tech future looks brighter than ever, promising a new generation of diverse, skilled and motivated software developers ready to take on the challenges of the digital age.
REVOLUTIONISING SKILLS DEVELOPMENT
Steven De Backer, founder and CEO of Afriwise, emphasises the transformative potential of artificial intelligence (AI) for Africa’s workforce.
“AI presents a unique opportunity to revolutionise skills development across the continent. By integrating AI literacy into education from primary levels onward and fostering partnerships between tech companies and educational institutions, we can equip our workforce with the tools to thrive in the digital age. Embracing AI in training and education is key to bridging the technology gap and ensuring Africa’s competitiveness in the global job market.”
Chris Erasmus
Steven de Backer
The Coding Ground mock interviews.
Jason Suttie with The Coding Ground learners and employees.
experience and quali cations required to become an artisan.” These include:
QUALIFYING FOR A TRADE
What you need to know
The path to an artisan trade certificate is more open than many job seekers in South Africa realise, writes BUSANI MOYO
When it comes to unemployment, South Africa faces a dichotomy. Statistics South Africa reported in early May this year that the country faces a “45.5 per cent unemployment rate among young individuals (aged 15–34 years)”. On the other hand, South Africa has a shortage of artisans. This can only mean the country needs more young people to enter colleges providing artisanal training. But what are the bene ts of learning a trade as a career path, what is needed and how long does it take?
THE IMPACT OF ARTISAN SKILLS ON UNEMPLOYMENT
Elsie Harmse, CEO of UXi Artisan Development and Founder of Africa Skills Private College based in George in the Western Cape, acknowledges the skills shortage. She says: “Currently, between accredited private and public training institutions, they deliver less than 20 000 newly quali ed red seal trade artisans annually compared with the 30 000 at least set as the goal by the National Development Plan 2030.”
If there is a shortage of jobs in South Africa and a shortage of artisans simultaneously, then it is sensible to assume that artisan skills can drastically impact unemployment.
Saalim Adamgee, director and owner of Qualitas
Training, an accredited decentralised training and trade test centre in Johannesburg, agrees: “Considering the skills shortage in South Africa, skills always add value to any sector in any industry. Having a skill almost always allows the individual access to self-employment or entrepreneurial opportunities.”
THE BENEFITS OF LEARNING A TRADE
Asked what the bene ts of learning a trade are, Harmse says: “Choosing a trade increases young and not-so-young people’s chances of being employed, as there is a huge demand for more skills training and experience in all sectors of the national economy – this is not only true of South Africa.” She adds: “Unlike degree-based careers where you must be employed before getting paid, artisans in training often get a stipend while training.”
NUMEROUS PATHWAYS TO BECOMING AN ARTISAN
The Artisan Training Institution (ATI) provides artisan and related training in several disciplines, including boilermaking, tting and turning, millwright and transportation electrician.
Mosa Bodibe, the college’s marketing assistant, says: “There are various pathways to acquire the necessary knowledge,
• Attend a TVET college: this pathway begins with the prospective artisan registering at a Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) College, where they have the option of completing quali cations such as National Certi cate Vocational and NATED (Technical) National Certi cate courses.
• Apply for a learnership: a learnership is a structured learning process that allows individuals aged 16–35 to gain knowledge and practical skills in a work-based environment, leading to a quali cation registered on the NQF.
• Become an apprentice: to qualify for an apprenticeship, you need to have a minimum of Grade 9 or an N2 Certi cate in the trade of your preference. The duration of an apprenticeship can be between 18 and 36 months, leading to a trade test.
• Apply for an artisan recognition of prior learning: this pathway is open to individuals with artisan skills, but who have no formal proof. Such individuals should have worked in a speci c trade for at least 36 months and should be 19 years or older.
Adamgee says: “The formal quali cations, such as NATED courses, level training or in-centre training, can take anything between three to six months, after which the candidate must work to gain experience in the respective trade for about three years to qualify.”
THE FUTURE IS IN COLLABORATION
Harmse believes South Africa can leverage artisan training to solve its perennial unemployment challenge. She concludes: “Now, businesses must ensure a solid foundation in basic technical skills. Collaboration between companies, the education sector and technical training providers holds the key to relevant training.”
“CHOOSING A TRADE INCREASES YOUNG AND NOT-SO-YOUNG PEOPLE’S CHANCES OF BEING EMPLOYED, AS THERE IS A HUGE DEMAND FOR MORE SKILLS TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE IN ALL SECTORS OF THE NATIONAL ECONOMY.” – ELSIE HARMSE
Mosa Bodibe
WHY FUNDING INCLUSIVE PROGRAMMES MATTERS
We look at South African corporate-funded inclusive programmes for people living with disabilities and why these programmes matter.
By ITUMELENG MOGAKI
Inclusive programmes for people living with disabilities do promote equal working opportunities and general social integration.
To unpack the importance of South African corporate funding programmes or initiatives of this nature, we spoke to experts in the eld.
SKILLS DEVELOPMENT ENHANCES OPPORTUNITY
Madré van der Merwe, senior manager: operations (I Can!) at Adcorp Group, which runs learnership programmes to support and engage persons living with disabilities, says inclusive programmes usually have an educational component to them, aimed at raising awareness and understanding of people with disabilities.
“These programmes often provide skill development and employment opportunities tailored to the abilities and needs of the individual living with a disability. This not only enhances their economic independence, but also promotes their integration into the workforce, contributing to a more inclusive society,” van der Merwe explains.
She adds that this helps to combat stigma and discrimination, fostering an environment where people living with disabilities are accepted and valued members of society.
“By advocating for equal opportunities, accessibility and anti-discrimination measures, these programmes help create a legal framework that protects the rights of disabled individuals and prevents discrimination,” says van der Merwe.
MUTUALLY BENEFICIAL
Louine Griessel, head of resource development for the Western Cape
Association of and for Persons with Disabilities, says partnerships between corporate businesses and organisations specialising in supporting persons living with disabilities are critical for bringing about full participation.
“Organisations such as the Western Cape Association of and for Persons with Disabilities can channel funding support where most needed to achieve the greatest impact. When people with disabilities are fully included, their diverse perspectives and talents contribute to creative solutions and new ideas,” she comments.
Unpacking how inclusive workplace programmes bene t both disabled employees and their organisations, Griessel says: “Inclusive and accessible workplace programmes bene t employees with disabilities by providing them with equal opportunities and reasonable accommodation, leading to higher job satisfaction, productivity and retention.
“For organisations, such programmes tap into a diverse talent pool, promoting creativity and innovation.” She adds: “Inclusive and accessible workplaces also enhance company reputation, attracting top talent and customers who value social investment. Moreover, they promote a culture of collaboration and respect, improving overall employee morale and engagement.
“By embracing inclusivity and accessibility, organisations not only comply with legal requirements, but also drive better business outcomes through a more dynamic and committed workforce,” concludes Griessel.
Expanding the number of deaf graduates
MICHELLE LISSOOS, director of iSchoolAfrica, shares highlights of the Deaf Development initiative and plans for a broader programme roll out
The iSchoolAfrica Inclusion Programme aims to change the narrative of disabled youth unemployment in South Africa by showcasing their potential for meaningful employment and breaking down biases against hiring disabled youth. The programme has revealed the untapped potential of disabled youth when provided with the right skills and opportunities. Notably, two graduates are now junior app developers at the Core Group, fully integrated into their team. Efforts also include sign language training for team members and process adjustments for inclusivity by Core IT management.
Challenges remain, particularly in corporate commitment to accessible workspaces and addressing educational gaps and system shortcomings for deaf youth. The training of employers is as crucial as upskilling deaf graduates.
iSchoolAfrica’s Coding for Inclusion programme aims to introduce younger learners to coding and tech-based skills, reducing learning gaps and increasing employability. The goal is to expand the number of deaf graduates and participating corporates, making disability inclusion and empowerment in the workplace a standard practice.
More about iSchoolAfrica’s programmes
Louine Griessel
Madré van der Merwe
EMPOWERING AFRICA’S ENERGY FUTURE
WITS BUSINESS SCHOOL launched the African Energy Leadership Centre to develop strong, skilled leaders for the energy sector by offering master’s and postgraduate diploma study opportunities
We live in an era of radical transition in energy as the sector faces unprecedented technological upheaval.
Dr Rod Crompton, visiting adjunct professor at Wits Business School (WBS), calls it a “tsunami of technology”, which is turning the market on its head. Electricity, he says, has become decentralised, digitalised and democratised, and the result is that energy consumers are becoming energy prosumers.
This is just one way the energy sector is fast evolving and, increasingly, demanding a new breed of highly skilled and quali ed leaders to navigate the way forward.
Recognising a tremendous skills gap in the energy sector, at a time when load shedding in South Africa was becoming the new norm, Wits University and WBS decided the time was right to start a centre for energy leadership. In 2017, the African Energy
Leadership Centre (AELC), located at WBS, was established with Crompton, a veteran energy expert and commentator, at the helm.
“At that time there were no formal programmes focusing on energy at the university, and we had to change that. We were in an electricity crisis and the sector as a whole was in transition. It was imperative that Wits made a contribution to the energy sector and, after much research and consultation with industry, we decided to focus on leadership development,” says Dr Crompton.
THE WBS MASTER’S AND POSTGRADUATE DIPLOMA IN THE FIELD OF ENERGY LEADERSHIP WERE L AUNCHED IN 2019 AND REMAIN THE ONLY PROGRAMMES OF THEIR KIND IN AFRICA, AND AMONG VERY FEW OFFERED GLOBALLY.
The WBS master’s and postgraduate diploma in the eld of energy leadership were launched in 2019 and remain the only programmes of their kind in Africa, and among very few offered globally.
For Dr Crompton, who has spent most of his career in energy policy, strategy and regulation (working at the Department of Minerals and Energy and NERSA), the AELC was an opportunity to make a tangible contribution and share his decades of experience.
“I had collected a lot of knowledge and it made sense to pass it on. When Wits approached me to spearhead the centre I agreed to give it a go,” he recalls.
DEVE L OP I NG A CURR I CU LUM AND GRADUAT I NG L EADER S
No stranger to teaching – he was involved in the Minerals and Energy Education and Training Institute (MEETI) – Dr Crompton set about developing a curriculum from scratch in consultation with industry partners and Wits colleagues Professor Ian Jandrell, who at the time was dean of the Faculty of Engineering, and the late Professor Bob Scholes, one of the world’s leading scientists on climate change.
APPLICATIONS
Applications for the Master of Management in Energy Leadership and the Postgraduate Diploma in the field of Energy Leadership at Wits Business School close on 30 September 2024.
“Our rst and biggest challenge was deciding what to teach and what not to teach. Energy is such a broad and multidimensional subject and one has limited contact time in the classroom,” Dr Crompton says. “Through extensive consultations with industry, and considering the ‘tsunami’ of transitions happening, a curriculum emerged of which we are very proud.”
There was immediate take-up for the programme with an inaugural cohort of 40 master’s students. Now in its fth year, the number of applicants has steadily increased for both the master’s and postgraduate diploma programmes. In addition, companies, such as Total Energies, regularly request customised programmes for their leadership teams.
“A highlight for me is seeing young people graduate and become sought-after in the energy industry,” says Dr Crompton. “The programme is targeted at industry professionals, but at the same time we hope to grow our base of lecturers and researchers and encourage more students to do their PhDs.”
A FOCUS ON RESEARCH
In an industry undergoing massive transition, there is signi cant scope for research into the future of energy, as well as a need for more public dialogue and debate. The AELC has forged strategic partnerships with industry players and associations over the years, among them the founding donor, Chemical Industries Education and Training Authority (CHIETA), GIZ, SANEA, the African Energy
Chamber and, more recently, the CS Bauer School of Business at the University of Houston for a series of cross-continental webinars exploring energy challenges in the Global North and South.
To advance and intensify research, the AELC has established two further research divisions, one in hydrogen with grant funding from the CHIETA and one in energy futures, funded by Absa.
“The future is exciting from an energy perspective,” says Dr Crompton, who recalls the rst question he posed to the initial master’s classes. “I asked them, what is the most expensive thing that has ever been built on earth? They were surprised to learn that it is the Gorgon Gas Project off North West Australia. They are even more surprised when they discover the relevance of that question. In time, the gas elds off Mozambique will be even bigger. I asked them – where will you be when this happens?”
MANAGING EMERGING CHALLENGES
While rich in opportunities and natural resources, Africa also faces a steep uphill battle in providing access to clean, affordable energy to all its people.
The challenges are manifold: from the sovereign risk ratings and the high costs of investing in Africa, the high costs of capital and the excessive rules and regulations at border posts, resulting in a two-week (or more) waiting period for coal truck drivers, to corruption and terrorist activity, such as in northern Mozambique which caused the gas projects there to stall for two years.
“That is why we are grooming people to handle what are not only African, but also emerging market challenges,” says Dr Crompton. “And an important part is about developing strong, skilled and ethical leaders.”
He also notes that a successful leader in energy needs to have a broad spectrum understanding of the energy industry, locally and globally. Gone are the days of being a “silo expert” in, say, oil and gas, renewables, or electricity.
“Yes, you need core skills, but my advice for anyone entering this eld is to ensure they have a good grasp on the whole energy spectrum, including energy commodity trading and how global prices dictate to everyone, not least our corner at the southern tip of Africa.
“With all this technological change, the former energy silos of coal, oil and gas, renewables and nuclear have become interlinked and interchangeable. It’s a whole new approach to energy and our future leaders need to understand that,” concludes Dr Crompton.
WITSBUSINE SS SCHOOL
For more information: 011 717 3544 www.wbs.ac.za
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Dineo Tlou, a 2023 graduate
Dr. Rod Crompton
