What we do
The MICT Sector Skills Plan (SSP) has been developed over the period of NSDS III to map out and plan for the occupational skills needs in Advertising, Film and Electronic Media, Electronics, Information Technology and Telecommunications industries. Each year it is updated to analyse the changes in the sector’s labour market and does so against the backdrop of the economic performance of the sector and developmental agenda of the country. It sizes up the gap between the demand and supply for skills and finally outlines strategies for dealing with the identified challenges.
The MICT sector is made up of five sub-sectors that are interconnected but also quite distinct and identifiable in their own right. These are:Â
- Advertising
- Film and Electronic Media
- Electronics
- Information Technology
- Telecommunications
The MICT sector is currently made up of just over 21,000 companies spread across the five sub-sectors (allocated to the MICT SETA through the SARS registration process). Nearly 50% of the sector employer base is constituted by organisations in Information Technology, followed by Telecommunications at 15% and Electronics at 13%; while the Film and Electronic Media and Advertising sub-sectors represent 12% each.Â
Gauteng has the largest share of employers at 43%, followed by Western Cape and Kwazulu-Natal with 11% and 8% respectively. According to the analysis of WSPs submitted in 2016, there were 297,831 people employed, up from 274,095 based on 2015 WSP submissions. The Information Technology sub-sector had the highest percentage of employees in 2016; with 49% whereas the Advertising sub-sector had the lowest; with about 4% of employees.
The sector can be disaggregated into Information Communication Technologies (ICT) producing activities and ICT using activities. It is located on the convergence between content, commerce, community and the tools that support them. It covers an array of segments, including news, market research, business process automation, media, data services, software, hardware, telecoms, financial and risk information, and security among others. Essentially, the sector is anchored by the role of unified communications which enable access, storage, transmission and manipulation of information.
This sector continues to grow from a nascent industry into one of the country’s leading sources of employment and major contributor to Gross Domestic Product (GDP). There are a number of stakeholders that contribute to the policy and regulatory environment including industry and employer bodies, professional bodies and regulatory bodies. Professional associations advance professional learning and knowledge in the sector, whilst organised labour’s focus is in the labour rights of workers within the sector.
OUR VALUES
- As an organisation and individuals within the organisation we value honesty and integrity;
- We are eager to take on challenges and see them through;
- We have a passion for developing people; and
- We hold ourselves accountable to our customers and partners by honouring commitment and striving to ensure quality service delivery in line with Batho-Pele principles.Â
The MICT SETA partners with industry, Universities and TVET colleges (both public and private) in the delivery of respective learning programmes in its endeavour to address identified scarce skills. Its commitment to expand and improve provision of skills development for SMMEs and rural communities will contribute towards addressing the requisite skills immeasurably. Credibility of the data used for skills planning and partnering with stakeholders in scoping their skills development needs and priorities remains a priority for the SETA. This will ensure effective implementation of demand-driven learning programmes that serve as effective bridges into the world of work.