Much has been made of digital transformation, especially over the past two years as a result of the pandemic, but skills in this field are hard to cultivate or come by.

This is why the Johannesburg Business School (JBS), a faculty of the University of Johannesburg, has announced the launch of its Doctor of Philosophy (DPhil) in Digital Transformation.

“As one of the first digital-centric business programmes at South Africa’s highest level of education, the DPhil is providing academic credibility to a subject that has long been seen as an abstract concept,” explains JBS in a press release sent to Hypertext.

“The programme is in line with the JBS’ goal of becoming South Africa’s premier business school for the digital era. It is for business executives and organisational leaders who are poised to introduce and be the frontrunners of the digital transformation efforts of their organisations,” it adds. 

Speaking of the value of this newly launched qualification, Professor Lungile Ntsalaze (pictured above), the head of the JBS DPhil in Digital Transformation programme, emphasises the roles that businesses must play in terms of acquiring the necessary 4IR-related skills that the country needs.

“Digital transformation has long been government’s swansong to keep South Africa relevant within the global economy. But government may not be able to transform the country as quick as large businesses can. Corporates can adopt emerging technologies swiftly and take them to market. If business rides this wave, South Africa will remain a vital part of the global economy,” he says.

“The technologies are bursting out of laboratories and making their way into the world on a marketable scale. Our programme prepares students to take advantage of the new opportunities that will arise from this disruption,” Ntsalaze continues.

Speaking further on the programme and how it will be delivered, JBS adds that this particular doctoral degree will feature a mix of theory and practice with a supervisory panel from a diverse pool of experts.

Mentors will also be on hand to support candidates throughout the research proposal development stages.

“Since digital transformation cuts across organisational functions and industries, this programme, through a highly selective admission process, is accessible to anyone with a Master’s Degree from any field of study,” the institution adds.

To find out more about the programme, head here.