Without an all-out effort by the ICT sector and governments to foster and sustain inclusive ICT-driven societies the ability to educate and support Africa's future entrepreneurs is placed in serious jeopardy.

Calls have been made by industry professionals for academics, education authorities and other key role players to increase the level of ICT in classrooms and assist learners to acquire much-needed skills.

Industry analysts have pointed to the Oxford Economics Workforce 2020 study, commissioned by SAP, which reflects an irony – while there is a substantial amount of technology in the workplace, there are not enough skills to use these resources to their maximum advantage.

That is the scenario being played out now in South Africa, according to research, but there are implications for the rest of the continent says Ayanda Dlamini, business development manager at LGR Telecommunications.

Dlamini believes it is imperative to develop skills to keep up with- and leverage off the growth of ICT.

He says one only has to consider the growth of ICT infrastructure, penetration of the internet and related markets to realise the correlation between the growth of ICT ecosystems in Africa and the opportunity to improve education.

"What we've seen is growth, if you look at the four-year period from 2010 to 2014 in terms of ICT infrastructure improvement, followed by penetration of internet access. If we look at Sub-Saharan Africa as an example, that presents an opportunity for education ... and broader industry focus areas. The one thing that bothers one, if you look into the future, is the development of skills."

Noting the benefits of skills to industry (including entrepreneurship, investment and innovation), Dlamini says it is important to create the same culture that has been established in 'developed markets'.

Creating the culture will mean addressing the need for greater internet penetration and extending the reach of ICT to all communities.

He says according to the ITU almost 20% of Africa's population had access to the internet by the end of 2014, up from 10% in 2010. "But far from full penetration," Dlamini adds. "Another challenge is to ensure that communities are given the skills they need to use ICT effectively."

His prediction is that gap between those who are digitally included and those that are not will get wider. This will result in a future generation who is essentially deprived of the benefits of ICT.

ICT as a key pillar in society

The culture Dlamini speaks of is one that would facilitate greater connectivity in society, he believes.

In the context of the development of communities, Dlamini says it is critical to place ICT in the hands of the unskilled.

To this end he says it is equally important to consider the many approaches that have been adopted in order to come up with a workable solution.

Taking the current energy resource challenge out of the equation momentarily, Dlamini says there is a growing worldwide trend to incorporate technology as part of a child's foundation education framework, as early as possible.

"Obviously we have to consider industry requirements... skills have to match demand. In terms of other technology skills sets, ICT should be seen as the pen and paper of tomorrow."

Technology in place can be used by learners to collaborate, access resources and "work smarter and faster," he continues.

Dlamini cites the application of mobile solutions in healthcare, in agriculture and in finance as examples of where technology is beginning to make difference. Mobile payment platforms and services have taken off in key regions, including East Africa.

However, the disconnect between skills development and the ability to produce skilled practitioners remains.

To adequately address this issue will require time and effort , as well as collaboration between all stakeholders.

In terms of technology, Dlamini explains that part of creating an environment and ecosystem conducive to skills development will require lower costs in terms of internet access and usage on the continent, greater broadband infrastructure access and enhanced data services.