• Cybersecurity across sub-Saharan Africa is plagued by inequality with women only making up a quarter of the industry.
• One barrier that could be causing this inequality is that girls are not being engaged with STEM subjects sooner.
• Other cultural barriers exist and a holistic approach is needed to begin addressing this shortage as Africa becomes more and more vulnerable to cyberattacks.

It is no secret that South Africa is facing a widespread shortage when it comes to its digital skills. The demand that exists is significantly greater than the skills being produced.

So great is the demand that companies are not even waiting for upskilling to take place and are looking overseas to meet their digital skills needs, as seen in a recent report by the Wits University’s Joburg Centre for Software Engineering (JCSE).

Inequality is also rife in the skills that are available. In sub-Saharan Africa’s (SSA) cybersecurity industry alone it is estimated that it will take 100 years before women and men are seen on equal footing.

This insight is gleaned from a joint study by Boston Consulting Group (BCG) and The Global Cybersecurity Forum (GCF).

The report, titled Empowering Women to Work in Cybersecurity Is a Win-Win, is based on a global survey of 2 000 female science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) undergraduate students in 26 countries across six regions, as well as interviews with 20 international experts in the field.

Cybersecurity needs more skills and quickly

Perhaps more than other digital industries, the security industry in these regions is seeking skilled professionals with increasing urgency as Africa becomes a hotbed for threat actor activity after spikes seen during the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdowns.

Yet with such demand, women only make up a quarter of the cybersecurity workforce in SSA, according to the report. And a key reason for this inequality is that women are not being engaged earlier in their lives when it comes to STEM education.

“Our survey found that in the SSA region, fewer respondents than anywhere else developed an interest in STEM in primary school – 7 percent versus a high of 27 percent in North America,” says Isme Oosthuizen, Associate Director at BCG Platinion.

Most women (73 percent) who responded to the survey noted that they developed an interest in STEM subjects only in high school, more than in Latin America and Europe.

STEM initiatives in South Africa

The South African government agrees that engaging young people early when it comes to STEM is important for the consistent growth of the country’s digital skills base. It also allows young people from disadvantaged and underprivileged communities to gain access to growing industries, bettering their socio-economic conditions.

Recently, the government of KwaZulu-Natal launched a digital skills laboratory aimed at introducing primary school learners and other young people to digital skills and technologies sooner. The government hopes to roll more of these labs out across the province in the coming week.

However, even as access to STEM education continues to be an issue for SSA’s cybersecurity industry the report asserts that it “isn’t the main stumbling block.”

Indeed, other challenges include social or cultural norms constraining what women study, home and care responsibilities that affect their ability to enter or succeed in a cybersecurity career, and negative perceptions of cybersecurity as a career choice present larger barriers.

About 37 percent of global respondents think cybersecurity does not offer work-life balance, which is one of the top three factors for women choosing a job, along with good compensation and meaningful work.

Respondents from SSA noted their top three career priorities as the opportunity to make a meaningful contribution to society, having opportunities for promotion and advancement, and having a job that others respect and value.

Africa is a target

Africa’s vulnerable cybersecurity landscape, compounded by a workforce shortage, continues to attract cyberattacks at increasing rates. According to an assessment performed by Interpol, South Africa has the third-highest number of cybercrime victims worldwide, losing approximately R2.2 billion a year to cyberattacks.

Skills are needed and women are ready to fill these holes in the workforce.

To begin addressing this, the report recommends a holistic approach. One which takes into account the pipeline, recruitment, retention, and advancement of women in the field.

Key initiatives indicated in the report would include targeted STEM engagement of school-age girls, openness to training or reskilling candidates with aptitude, gender- and family-friendly policies, ensuring a good work-life balance, and providing access to mentors, sponsors, and women’s networks dedicated to advancing women into senior leadership roles.

“Our survey found that 76% of sub-Saharan African respondents reported having had a role model to encourage them to learn more about cybersecurity. This is good news as role models and senior encouragement are critical to support efforts to build the talent pipeline and strengthen cyber resilience,” concludes Oosthuizen.

Download the full report here.

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