Software development in the western cape: the role of higher education

Abstract

The Western Cape in South Africa has been earmarked by the government and industry, as a digital hub for Africa. The region has a number of institutions, enterprises and initiatives in place to realise this goal. A study---taking into account the information technology practitioner's perspective---was undertaken within the Cape Town region to determine the promotion of software development within the Western Cape and the role which universities can play in the support thereof. A grounded theory research approach, using both quantitative and qualitative methods was used. This study found that the main stakeholders do not promote the software industry enough. Key initiatives that should be considered include: universities need to configure their curriculum appropriately for industry needs; more awareness around software development should be created particularly at school level in order to attract more students; and universities should build partnerships with industry. At the macro level, government, through policies and funding mechanisms for education and innovation in general, should create an enabling environment to foster these initiatives. Potential hindrances to achieving these initiatives are poor management of academic programmes, underfunding of the sector and a shortage of staff.