Founder and managing director of redAcademy, Jessica Hawkey, is the woman entrepreneur highlighted in today’s article.
She shares on pioneering a new way for South African matriculants to enter skilled careers in tech and software development specifically.
As a woman in a tech business, tell us about the start of your career and what actions do you believe have led to your success thus far?
I finished university some years back, and while I was doing my classes, carrying on my studies, I was in the field of management accounting, and I wanted to get my chartered status in management accounting. But I then experienced, I think, what most graduates do experience in their careers. I couldn’t find or obtain a job in my field.
So I started off in a retail space. I worked as a stock controller moving shoes from one store to the next store. But that was my step into the working world, a step into the office environment, working during the days and studying during the evenings to obtain that chartered status. I did go on to do management accounting for a period after that, and then moved to an institutional bank where I managed multiple teams, worked overseas and then came back to South Africa to work locally.
I think what set me up for success in my career from there, was to look for and seize every opportunity in the workplace that I could.
To work hard, work at your success, and when those opportunities then present themselves, to go and grab it with both hands. To make yourself available, to put your hand up and say “this is something I believe I am capable of.” Taking risks, working hard and really putting yourself out there to succeed in business.
I have been fortunate enough to be surrounded by brilliant mentors and this has been a significant opportunity that I’ve had, and one that I’ve grabbed with both hands and really grown and learnt a tremendous amount from. The mentorship that I’ve received from others in business, the lessons I’ve learnt, to use every opportunity to grow, learn and refine those skills have been incredibly important in my journey.
There is a dire skills shortage in the software development industry in this country, importing R8.5bn of software skills, coupled with the highest unemployment rate globally.
Software is entering every facet of daily life, from the way we communicate, buy food, interact with each other, etc. Every business nowadays makes use of software in some shape or form and often in an increasing way. Thus, the vital need to focus on coding and technology skills to prepare young people to enter this exciting and challenging environment.
All businesses need to differentiate themselves and leverage a unique selling proposition. How do you differentiate redAcademy?
redAcademy operates inside their clients’ live environments, readying candidates with experience in the exact role they will be entering. This helps better match the candidate with the role, culture and specific environment that they will operate in.
How important is such training in helping address the high unemployment figures, particularly among the youth?
This kind of intervention gives South African youth the opportunity to overcome the experience gap. This ensures candidates leave with the full skillset to be work ready.
South Africa has only 41% of women between 15 and 60 economically active.
This represents a tremendously valuable workforce that can be engaged in this country. It is wonderful to see that South Africa ranks second on the continent in terms of female business owners and entrepreneurs. Keep it up, surround yourself with role models making strides in the field. If you can’t find mentors locally, go to books or podcasts, etc, to hear women’s voices in the field you are in.
A recent success story of a young person arising and entering the field of technology services, is that of Zaphea Greenslade who completed her 12-month software development program at redAcademy, and is now a junior software developer at redPanda Software.
I asked Jessica, in this women’s month, what message would she like to share with other women entrepreneurs?
I take my position seriously, and I hope to be a voice that gives more women the belief that they, too, can make an impact.
Whenever redAcademy’s team speaks at events such as school activations, our youth bring a full representation of successful candidates in our academy, both young women and men, to ignite a passion for technology. The pupils meet women and men from the same backgrounds as them who are now successfully employed as software engineers – that’s inspiring.
● Steve Reid runs his own business in support of entrepreneurs, leaders and incubators.
You can contact him at steve@entreprenacity.com
