2021 End of Year Release with Microsoft SA CEO Lillian Barnard | Business Enquirer | BE Media

Lillian Bernard, Microsoft South Africa

On how digital skills will drive african development

Microsoft

Tech Feature

Lillian Bernard, Microsoft South Africa

On how digital skills will drive african development 2

Issue 103 ·Business Enquirer Magazine

Issue 103 · Business Enquirer Magazine

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PROJECT DIRECTED BY

WRITTEN BY

Jamie Waite

Jay Benmehidi

Microsoft

I

t is no secret that the cost of the COVID-19 pandemic to public health and the global economy has been a high one, and yet there is much truth in the famous saying, ‘in the midst of every crisis lies great opportunity.’ Following a 2020 that was characterised by seemingly unending lockdowns and disruption, the world has since gone online at a scale and speed that was scarcely imaginable only 18-months ago. A revolution is well and truly underway, and as the renowned technologist and Managing Director of Microsoft South Africa, Lillian Barnard notes, it is a revolution that will change the world as we know it: “We are in the midst of a technological revolution, the 4th industrial revolution, and I believe that AI will be the defining technology of this time. Similar to the discovery of electricity or the development

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of the steam engine, I believe that AI will have the power to fundamentally change people’s lives, transforming industry and transforming society.

When developed at scale, quantum computing will change the world. Imagine a computer that could accurately model the natural world, allowing us to create real and practical solutions to climate change. A computer that could accurately model human biological systems, leading to new and incredible breakthroughs in medicine.”

Already, Industry 4.0 is noticeably transforming our professional and personal worlds before our very eyes. The digital is overlapping evermore with the physical, and the rapid emergence of game changing technologies such as AI, cloud, and robotics is changing business, inside and out.

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Microsoft Building the workforce the new digital economy needs For Africa, the potential for this new digital ecosystem to drive a great leap forward developmentally is enormous, but to realise this potential the continent must first become a digital hub for skills – something that can only be achieved by equipping millions of people with the digital know-how the digital economy needs to flourish.

In South Africa alone, since June 2020, Microsoft has helped over 400,000 people gain access to digital skills through its Global Skilling Initiative, which has provided free of cost courses throughout much of 2020 and 2021, and a portfolio of low-cost certifications. From laid-off hospitality and factory workers to ex-retail staff, truck drivers and manual workers, Microsoft’s learning platforms have given hungry job seekers a new lease of professional life, enabling them to gain new skills and enter into new, digital-centric careers.

“Extending access to these learning paths, skills and tools comes at a critical time for South Africa: a declining economy and unemployment remain a mounting and widespread challenge in the country,” Lillian explained.

For a South African economy that was already grappling with recession and high unemployment, the outbreak of COVID-19 was the coup de grace. In 2020, the country was struck by a 7% contraction and a further 700,000-plus South Africans found themselves out of work by Q4. The economic bleeding has been stemmed to some extent this year, but the outlook for the economy remains challenging going forward.

As Barnard advocates, the drive to go digital is proving to be a solution to this crisis:

Tech Feature most effective way to drive this recovery because of the growing shift to digital technologies and increasing demand for people with digital skills,” Barnard went on to say. She continued: “As much as we talk about the need for intensive ICT investment into infrastructure and the technology that will support the continent’s engagement in the 4th industrial revolution, this will not happen without the human infrastructure to support the technology. For Africa to fully realise the opportunities brought about by digital transformation and 4IR, it is vital we have strong ICT skills.

A journey of hard work and passion

In Harambee’s report on mapping digital and ICT roles, there is a forecasted demand for - 66,000 people in digital and ICT roles in the next year, some of which will be latent demand; with an estimated - 45,000 entry-level jobs; suitable for youth.

With more than a quarter-century of experience in the ICT sector, during which she has carved out a reputation for being a passionate, dedicated, and people-centric leader with IBM, Vodacom, and in her own right as a successful entrepreneur, Lillian has held numerous leadership positions, both at home and abroad, during which she cut her teeth in all areas of business, from strategy and sales to operations – all experiences that would set her in good stead for her present day role as a senior executive.

Microsoft invests in human capital as digital technology requires that people are educated and through upskilling and reskilling, we can address the unemployment and digital skills challenge. We invest in digital skills development that builds ICT capability in individuals and SMMEs so that South Africans can create new ways to address issues of unemployment, equity, sustainability, and global competitiveness.”

Upon looking back at Lillian’s own remarkable professional journey, it is easy to see where her passion for empowering people and creating opportunity comes from. From a young age, Barnard knew that she wanted to be successful in life and she was under no illusions as to the importance of education – that she would go to university and one day rise up the ranks in an A-list global business giant was a given, as far as she was concerned.

“I was fortunate that early in my career, I was identified as Top Talent, and as result was often placed in roles which I felt required more experience than I could offer at point. There were three key learnings that I had, which enabled to overcome an hurdle I faced.

Firstly, I realised that my diversity of thinking, my tenacity and my passion for what I do are they three things that often enable my success in any task. Secondly, I realised that confidence in my abilities – and finding this quickly – was going to be important as I progressed in my career, because I always had ambitious goals. Finally, and this is still true to this, life is going to be a continuous learning journey of self- discovery that you are going to have to embrace.”

“This illustrates the critical need to accelerate economic recovery, especially for those hardest hit by the impact of the pandemic. Digital skills are the

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Tech Feature

Microsoft

Embracing diversity and encouraging women to participate in tech

Improving representation in the workplace for women

Strong, intelligent, charismatic, and most importantly of all, dynamic and confident, Barnard has become something of an aspirational public figure for young South Africans, especially women, who carry their own dreams of success. Indeed, it is confidence, combined with a passion for people and continuous learning, that Lillian credits for her own rise to the top of the leadership ladder:

Her desire to see women gain ever greater representation in the workplace, and certainly in senior leadership positions, is perhaps the holy grail of what she hopes to achieve through her work as a much-loved public figure in the business space.

“In South Africa, leaders must make learning a new way of life and have to become intentional about their learning agenda because the tech industry is ever changing. This will ensure that you keep your skills current and it will ensure that you remain relevant.

In my journey to leadership, I learnt that it is critical to have faith in your capabilities and the confidence to express those capabilities through your authentic voice. My personal mandate is to ensure that through authenticity; I am transparent, honest, and effective in communicating plans and goals for the organisation and doing so with clarity.

People have always been at the core of my focus. As a leader you must be transformational in your approach and build a diverse and inclusive workplace. It is fair to say that we all understand diversity, but inclusivity is so important, and this is all about focusing on the needs of every individual, ensuring that the right conditions are in place, so everyone can reach their full potential.”

In her role as Managing Director of Microsoft SA, pushing for a culture that spearheads gender equality in employment is central to her dayto-day work. Her message to ambitious women and young girls is this: “be bold, be fearless and to surround themselves with people who inspire and challenge them to be their best self.”

She concluded: “Women in technology are definitely in the minority, how are you encouraging and supporting women to come be part of the ecosystem? Women are still underrepresented and having women’s representation in these fields is not only a matter of fairness, but our economies and societies also lose out when we fail to engage half of the world’s brainpower in our engines of innovation.

We need to encourage interest from the early years of development, combat stereotypes, train teachers to inspire girls to pursue STEM careers, develop curricula that are gender-sensitive, and mentor girls and young women to adopt different mind-sets.”

In South Africa, leaders must make learning a new way of life.

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