SOFTWARE DEVELOPER

Realising the importance and future impact of the 4IR on the economy of South Africa and its competitiveness, the Minister of Communications gazetted the Presidential Commission on the Fourth Industrial Revolution (PC4IR) (Government Gazette No. 42388, 9 April 2019). By March 2020 this Commission delivered a report with wide ranging recommendations for Human Capital Development that will drive the 4IR forward. It clearly indicated the speed at which companies will have to invest in big data analysis, web-enabled market investment and the use of cloud computing and machine learning.

Software development is central to these initiatives. Software developers are the creative minds behind computer programs. Some develop the applications that allow people to do specific tasks on a computer or another device. Others develop the underlying systems that run the devices or that control networks. The software developer is the important cog in designing advanced computerised technologies. South Africa has a scarcity of software developers and there is a clear need for a qualification focusing specifically on the training and education of software developers.

There are currently similar qualifications registered on the NQF, however, the OC: Software Developer includes content related to 4IR specific competencies.

There is an abundance of international research that points to the phenomenal growth in the need for qualified software developers. For example, according to the US Bureau of Labour Statistics (BLS), demand for software developers is projected to grow by 22% by 2029. To put that figure in perspective, the average annual projected growth rate across all occupations is about 4%. In South Africa, according to the 2020 list of occupations in high demand: Technical Report (Department of Higher Education and Training) published in 2021 the role of the Software Developer and its synonyms have been identified as pivotal by several Sector Education and Training Bodies (SETAs) as well as being in critical need by industry and academia alike. With so much job growth on the horizon, prospective software developers stand to see a bright future ahead of them. Those with proper training and education not only have great job security and a range of options but a high paying, rewarding career path. Responding to the rapid skills demand by supplying software developers will thus have a positive impact on the economy.

It is also important to note that there are great opportunities to become self-employed and the entrepreneurial orientated software developers will form new companies (with the employment creation associated to it). In a 2019 OFFERZEN report on a survey of software developers, 39.5% indicated that within 5 years they want to establish their own companies. This growth in new companies in an environment where digitisation is becoming more and more important, will have a positive impact on society, not only in terms of connectivity, ICT savvy, communications, and the like, but also, as a new industry, the creation of jobs.
It should be noted that the Information Technology and Computing industry is highly competitive, and each vendor has its own certification exam. Typically, prospective candidates for the exams will enrol for a vendor specific short course prior to the exam. These certifications are globally recognised within the ICT industry. Within this context it is important to note that this qualification was developed vendor agnostic, thereby preparing the learner for and allowing the learner to enter any of the vendor specific certifications. This is a huge step forward toward inclusivity within the ICT industry of South Africa.

This qualification covers the full value chain of a software developer from interrogating and understanding problem statements (from end users) to building logic flows to solve identified problems, execute the necessary programming in an appropriate programming language and finally soft skills issues to function effectively, efficiently, and ethically in the workplace. It is an important qualification in the “suite” of qualifications in the ICT sector.

Typical learners include school leavers, graduates from TVET colleges and those currently in employment without formal recognition of competencies or who want to make a career change.

No professional registration or licencing is expected for Software Developers to seek employment in the sector.

Software developers can find employment as applications developers, ICT programmers, front-end developers, back-end developers, or full-stack developers.