Many local firms are patching up their outdated information technology (IT) systems rather than investing in modern platforms. Experts say one reason is that companies are struggling to keep up with new technologies. A number of IT firms have cited a difficult trading environment in SA owing to a lack of spending. This lack of investment has hurt some large data management and software firms based in the country, and has also had the effect of limiting the innovation that can come with new infrastructure. Jens Montanana, CEO of JSE-listed Datatec, says trading conditions have been tough for at least 18 months. Telkom CEO Sipho Maseko says the group’s BCX unit struggled in the six months to September as corporates and government reduced IT spend. "It’s more of a timing issue than a structural issue — it’s the deferral of spending by private and public sectors," Maseko says. Jay Reddy, Dimension Data’s solutions executive for the Middle East and Africa, says: "The lack of spending is ...
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