Tag: work experience

Digital transformation in local government can dramatically improve service delivery, transparency and citizen engagement. This finding comes from research published earlier this year by Nelson Mandela University. The study, “Assessing the impact of digital technologies on service delivery in local government”, published in March 2025, concluded that digital initiatives enhance efficiency, improve citizen participation and increase transparency.

The Skills Development component of B-BBEE scorecards has created a large and robust training industry. However, while many organisations deliver quality learnerships and skills programmes, an alarming number exploit the system and the corporate sponsors of learnerships. The consequences extend far beyond financial loss.

You’ve put in the hours, written the exams and now graduation is on the horizon. But when should you start applying for jobs? How early is too early? Whether you’re completing a diploma, higher certificate, degree or even a postgraduate programme like a Master of Business Administration (MBA) or Doctor of Business Administration (DBA), timing matters.

If you ask any South African tech leader what keeps them up at night, chances are the answer will not just be the country’s unreliable energy grid or regulations. You can add skills to that list as well. More precisely, the lack thereof. As businesses push ahead with digital transformation, the demand for specialised IT skills has never been higher.

Graduation often looks like the finish line, but for many of us, it is just the beginning. Drawing on years of mentoring graduates and working closely with industry, I challenge the idea that a qualification alone is enough. Instead, I offer a fresh perspective on turning academic achievement into career momentum, with practical insights for both recent and mature graduates who are ready to move forward with purpose.

South Africa’s youth unemployment rate stands at an alarming 44.6% for individuals aged 15-34. This sobering statistic reflects challenges such as limited work experience, educational gaps and economic hurdles.

In a significant move to strengthen the integrity of the Employment Tax Incentive (ETI) scheme, the government has proposed amendments to Sections 1(1) and 5(3) of the Employment Tax Incentive Act, No. 26 of 2013. The ETI, introduced in 2013, aims to encourage employers to hire young job seekers by reducing the cost of employment through a government-supported cost-sharing mechanism.

Skills development in the form of learnerships is an essential element of the Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) scorecard, accounting for a significant portion of the score for large enterprises in particular. However, not all businesses have the capacity, availability, or ability to take on sufficient learners to meet their obligations.

When it comes to job hunting, social media can be a double-edged sword. For young people who have graduated or who are looking for employment, there’s no doubt that having an online presence is important; some might even say critical. Not only can social media be a valuable tool in helping you discover career opportunities, it can “also assist in your own personal and professional brand-building.”

Over the past couple of years, implementation of automation in business, along with measured adoption of artificial intelligence (AI), has given businesses in the service industry the ability to enhance their workforce and their operations. This is because automation can take over many of the manual, admin-heavy tasks that can be very time-consuming for a workforce - particularly valuable in field service management (FSM) where there are many moving parts.