By: Boland Lithebe - Cybersecurity lead and Shiksha Benimadho, Talent & Organisation lead for Accenture, South Africa

Cybersecurity has become one of the most important enablers of business resilience, digital growth and customer trust. Yet many organisations are discovering that their greatest cybersecurity challenge is no longer technology alone. Increasingly, it is people.

Across industries, organisations continue to invest heavily in cloud platforms, digital services, data-driven operations and emerging technologies. As these investments expand, so does the need for cybersecurity professionals who can do more than operate technical controls. Businesses now require people who can connect cybersecurity to business strategy, communicate risk clearly, guide decision-making and work across multiple functions.

Recent Accenture research highlights a growing disconnect between the skills organisations need and the talent available in the market. Almost half of cybersecurity roles remain unfilled globally, while 59% of open positions now require a blend of technical expertise, business understanding and leadership capability. Yet only 40% of cybersecurity professionals currently occupy roles with this combination of skills.

For many South African organisations, cybersecurity is no longer confined to the technology department. Decisions around digital transformation, customer trust, regulatory obligations and operational resilience increasingly carry cybersecurity implications. This requires professionals who can engage across different parts of the business, helping leaders understand risk while ensuring that security supports broader organisational objectives rather than operating in isolation.

The difficulty is that traditional talent models have not evolved at the same pace. Many organisations continue to recruit for narrowly defined technical roles, while the business environment increasingly requires professionals who can work across technology, risk, operations and leadership teams. The result is a growing shortage of what Accenture describes as hybrid cybersecurity talent – people who combine technical depth with business acumen and strong communication skills.

Hiring alone is unlikely to solve this challenge. Cybersecurity talent remains scarce globally, and competition for experienced professionals continues to intensify. Organisations that rely exclusively on external recruitment often find themselves competing for the same limited pool of candidates while struggling to retain institutional knowledge.

A more sustainable approach is to build capability from within. Our research recommends creating structured development pathways that expose employees to a broader range of experiences, including cloud engineering, identity management, data governance, enterprise risk and business operations. Cross-functional exposure helps develop the broader perspective increasingly required in modern cybersecurity roles.

This presents an opportunity for South African organisations. The country has a growing pool of technology, analytics, audit, risk and operational professionals whose skills can be expanded into cybersecurity. Rather than viewing cyber talent as a separate workforce category, organisations can identify adjacent skills and create pathways for employees to transition into cybersecurity roles. This not only broadens the talent pipeline but also helps retain valuable business knowledge.

Retention is equally important. Accenture's research found that average cybersecurity tenure has fallen to 1.8 years, down from 3.3 years in the previous decade. At the same time, more than half of cybersecurity professionals report frequent work-related stress, while one in five is considering leaving the profession.

For business leaders, this highlights the importance of creating environments where expertise can develop over time. Career progression, workload management, learning opportunities and shared accountability all contribute to retaining experienced professionals. Without these foundations, organisations risk losing critical knowledge just as cyber risks become more complex.

Career design also deserves greater attention. Many cybersecurity professionals still follow a traditional path from analyst to engineer, architect and eventually leadership roles. However, modern organisations increasingly require cybersecurity expertise in product development, cloud transformation, data governance, operational resilience and technology strategy. Expanding career pathways allows professionals to gain broader business exposure while helping organisations develop future cyber leaders

Technology will continue to play an important role in addressing workforce pressures. Accenture's research highlights how automation can help cybersecurity teams manage growing workloads by handling routine tasks such as alert correlation, anomaly detection and investigation support. This allows practitioners to focus on higher-value activities that require judgement, contextual understanding and strategic decision-making.

However, organisations must be careful not to automate away the experiences that help people develop expertise. Foundational activities such as troubleshooting, incident investigation and security analysis remain essential for building the judgement that future leaders will need. Successful organisations will balance automation with structured learning opportunities that help employees develop practical experience over time.

Partnerships also have an important role to play. Cybersecurity has become too complex for any organisation to address in isolation. Long-term partnerships with technology providers, industry bodies and specialised cybersecurity organisations can strengthen internal capabilities, provide access to broader expertise and help organisations anticipate emerging risks. Accenture's research notes that enduring partnerships often deliver greater value than short-term, cost-driven vendor relationships because they preserve institutional knowledge and support capability development over time.

For South African organisations, the conversation about cybersecurity talent should therefore extend beyond recruitment. The challenge is not simply finding more people. It is creating the conditions that allow capability to grow, mature and remain aligned to the changing needs of the business. Organisations that invest in developing hybrid talent, expanding career pathways and supporting continuous learning will be better positioned to strengthen resilience, support innovation and build trust in an increasingly digital economy.

Building cyber resilience is no longer only about investing in technology. It also requires sustained investment in people. Organisations should treat continuous learning as a strategic capability, equipping employees with the skills needed to keep pace with evolving cyber risks. Learning platforms such as Accenture's LearnVantage help organisations identify critical skills gaps, deliver role-based learning pathways and build practical cybersecurity capabilities that strengthen resilience while supporting broader business transformation.