There’s a very specific trait that sets South Africans apart from Europe and the US when it comes to the tech industry.

We’re versatile and multi-talented, and we’re also cheap when you factor in the exchange rate.

This also means that the local job market is competitive, so if you’re not versatile and multi-talented, you might want to get on that.

While you’re at it, you might as well set yourself apart by mastering the skills that the industry is lacking at the moment.

BusinessTech looked into the skills most needed now and over the next year, based on the results of a study by Wits University’s Joburg Centre for Software Engineering (JCSE) and the Information Technology Professionals South Africa (IITPSA):

• Information Security/Cybersecurity;
• DevOps;
• Big data design/analytics;
• Artificial intelligence/machine learning;
• Blockchain;
• Test automation/performance testing;
• Internet of Things.

The chart below also breaks down which skills are needed, according to businesses in the sector.

You’ll want to pay special attention to where the blue (now) and grey (next year) lines are clearly longer than the orange and yellow lines, which show an abundance of skills in a particular area.

BusinessTech

When it comes to programming languages, here’s where you should be focusing your energy:

The pattern of demand for programming languages in 2019 sees Python move into second place behind Java and ahead of C#.

In 2018 Java was in the lead, followed by C# and Python. .NET, C++, HTML and SQL followed.

In 2017 was Java the clear leader and C# in second place, unchanged from 2016. Python moved into the third spot, with .NET and C++ tied for fourth.

Of equal but lesser popularity, R, PHP, COBOL and Delphi all get mentioned. In 2016 the leading languages were also Java and C#, followed by VB.NET and PHP. 2014 was very similar to 2012, with Java, C#, .NET, C++ and VB the most popular.

I’m assuming that if you’re reading this, you understood that. That makes one of us.

Happy job hunting.

[source:businesstech]