South Africa progresses on tech skills – but capability gaps persist

South African employers report strong hiring expectations for technology roles in the year ahead, according to a new study from CompTIA on the biggest challenges facing HR leaders.

Seven in every 10 expect to hire more technology staff to support business growth over the next year, while 43% plan to backfill existing vacancies and only 9% anticipate tech layoffs, researchers found.

Some 63% say their workforce’s skill and talent level is at target (100%) or very close (90%) to what their organisation requires. However, 37% report being at 80% of target or below – indicating uneven skills maturity across employers.

The figures came from a new survey of human resources and learning and development (L&D) professionals for CompTIA’s latest Workforce & Learning Trends report.

The study, which is the sixth of the annual series, found that workforce development remains a key focus in South African businesses.

Upskilling priorities increase

More than eight in every 10 (81%) said upskilling and reskilling are a high or moderately high priority, while 85% prioritise internal mobility and career pathways, and 86% highlight organisational culture and employee experience.

More employers are taking a structured approach to measuring capability, with 59% using formal skills assessments to identify gaps.

Budget investment reflects these priorities. Nearly three quarters (74%) plan to increase learning spend, and a further 14% expect to hold it steady – suggesting continued commitment to talent development. 

Digital fluency skills shape the future of work

The report notes that digital fluency – the ability to confidently use digital tools, data and emerging technologies – is increasingly required across job roles. 

Some 95% of South African businesses said this skill set was becoming ‘moderately’ or ‘much’ more important. The figure was higher than the equivalent in all other regions covered by the wide-ranging report – with Australia at 84%, Benelux at 83%, Canada at 68%, Japan at 69%, the U.K at 83%, and the U.S at 85%.

The priorities for digital fluency skills building and development among staff were (in order from most) as follows among South African businesses:

• Artificial intelligence (AI)
• Data analytics
• Cybersecurity
• Business applications
• Devices and hardware

By contrast, training budgets are expected to rise most in:

• Cybersecurity
• AI
• Data and analytics
• Project management
• Leadership

Employers identify gaps in training outcomes

Skills gaps, skills shortages, and skills mismatches stem from a combination of tactical and structural issues. HR professionals in South Africa reported the following combination of factors:

• 72% of respondents said skills development approaches fell short on ‘hard technical and data skills’;
• 60% reported skills development approaches were falling short with ‘soft skills’;
• 63% said there was not enough focus on ‘competency and on-the-job performance’;
• 70% said higher education ‘does not prepare graduates well enough’;
• And 72% claimed training/instructional curricula were ‘not aligned with employer needs’.

Just over four in every 10 respondents (41%) said lack of quality instructors was a barrier to successful training and desired training outcomes. Other barriers included training option ‘overload’ with so many providers available (41%), fatigue among employees (40%), and ‘stale’ / ‘outdated’ curricula (37%).

A massive 97% of South African employers said industry-recognised certifications were an important factor in validating knowledge, skill, and task (KST), a model used in human resources, education, and talent management to define and assess the requirements for a job or a learning objective. 

Overall trends

The findings suggest:

• Employers are generally confident in workforce capability
• Digital transformation remains a hiring catalyst
• Upskilling and certifications are central to workforce planning
• Capability gaps remain for more than a third of organisations

Training approaches need better alignment and delivery.

*About this research

CompTIA’s Workforce and Learning Trends study was conducted via a quantitative survey fielded online during January 2025. A total of 1,109 human resource (HR) and learning and development (L&D) professionals completed the survey, 

The United States component of the study resulted in 562 responses, with remaining responses roughly evenly distributed across the countries of Australia, Canada, United Kingdom, Japan, South Africa, and the region of Benelux (Belgium, Netherlands, and Luxembourg).

To learn more about the hopes and concerns of South Africa's HR leaders, download CompTIA’s latest Workforce & Learning Trends report or visit CompTIA’s comprehensive research library, including insights from job seekers, IT professionals, community college students, and more.