Thabo Sefali (37) has been appointed the new Chief Information Officer (CIO) of the Department of Labour (DoL) effective April 1, 2012. In this position, Sefali joins the DoL at the time when it is on the throes of an exit plan from a 10 year billion rand public private partnership (PPP) with Siemens.
Sefali will be responsible for all information and Communication Technology (ICT) related functions as well as playing a role in developing and the execution of the DoL’s new ICT strategy, which he says: “is in the final leg of drafting and would be unveiled at the end of this month for approval”.
The DoL/Siemens public private partnership (PPP) ends in November 2012. The service transfer handover process is planned to begin in September. The initial DoL and Siemens - the multi-disciplinary solutions provider of automation, communication networks, technologies and consumer products’ - contract was valued at R1,2 billion over a 10-year period. At its conclusion in November it would have shot up to R1,9 billion, factoring in the consumer price index and expenditure on additional services.
“In the short-term the focus is to ensure the stability of the organisation and a smooth transition until the end of the contract into a new integrated ICT strategy. We do not have a choice. The contract is coming to an end, and we need a strategy to map our future.
“Post the exit strategy, we intend to become a vibrant ICT organisation that has an internal capacity something that we missed with the PPP. Where necessary we will have resort to multiple sourcing options to beef up capacity. We are looking at modernising the organisation into a paperless entity that would contribute to green initiatives while ensuring that our services are accessible to the public through various platforms including online, mobile, advanced contact centres and other possible channels through partnering with industry,” Sefali.
The IT passionate Sefali was born in Nyanga in the Western Cape. He matriculated at Sithembele Matiso in New Crossroads, near Nyanga. After passing Matric in 1993 and attending further classes at Head Start College in Cape Town his journey into IT was formally carved in 1995 when he registered for a Computer Programming course at WS & L Training College in Kenilworth, Cape Town.
Sefali says he became fixated into IT during his involvement in youth development organisations where he was an organiser and also realised how technology could be used for social development and advancement.
No sooner had he graduated from WS & L Training that he hit the ground running and joined financial services group Old Mutual where he worked for three years. Soon after leaving the company he consulted for Anglo American and Anglo Gold as an independent contractor through IBM contractor programme.
Between 2000-2006 his career accelerated tremendously when he joined retail group Woolworths as an analyst programmer rising through the ranks from being processor analyst and left as an IT process manager.
After that he changed tack and joined public sector where he worked as IT operations manager in the Water Affairs Department until 2008. He later branched into Rural Development Department & Land Reform where he was appointed an IT Director until an opportunity beckoned for him to join the Department of Labour.
With Siemens expected to leave behind a solid infrastructure including systems, servers and human capital he says, “We will be starting a new era on a foundation of strength”.
Sefali is optimistic of the future, saying innovation would be a common feature to future success. His vision is also growing the IT skills base of the country with the department playing a leading role.
For Sefali it is now a case of using the opportunity and make a “catastrophic success” of it.
Enquiries:
Page Boikanyo
Cell: 082 809 3195
