Bontle Songo is the HR Executive at DVT, a Dynamic Technologies group company. Deeply committed to transformation, DVT invests in programmes and initiatives that support youth development, build a skilled workforce and create positive change in the community. It’s a mission that Bontle has put her heart and soul into.
“I started with the company as a Recruitment Administrator. I always had a passion for people and HR, and over the years I’ve had the privilege of growing into the HR Executive role. A highlight of my journey has been being involved in the DVT Learnership Programme from inception. Watching it grow from our very first cohort in 2015 to 100 learners in 2017 and seeing the ripple effect it has had on many young South Africans, has been the most rewarding chapter of my career.”
She didn’t stop there. Bontle has been instrumental in building DVT’s Internship, Mentorship and Executive Coaching programmes, which together represent a commitment to developing people at every stage of their careers.
“I think the most powerful thing HR can do is connect the dots between people and strategy,” she explains. “At DVT, that means ensuring that our transformation agenda, through our learnership and B-BBEE commitments, is more than a compliance exercise; it’s a genuine business and social priority. It means building programmes that develop internal talent and reduce our skills scarcity.”
An important part of her role is fostering a culture where people feel valued, mentorship and knowledge-sharing are celebrated and where every employee, from a learner on their first day to a senior executive, feels they belong and can contribute.
Bontle worked closely with Prudence Mathebula, MD at ICT training academy Dynamic DNA, another Dynamic Technologies group company, on the DVT Learnership Programme. She says, “In South Africa, youth unemployment is a crisis, the scarcity of IT skills is a real barrier to economic growth and the gap between young people’s potential and the opportunities available to them can feel enormous. I believe that companies such as DVT have a responsibility and a privilege to be part of the solution.”
She adds, “When we started our first learnership in 2015, I knew we were planting seeds. By 2017, when we took on 100 learners, I could see that the seeds were taking root. Each learner represents a life changed, a family impacted, a community uplifted.”
Bontle says, “Working with Prudence has been an incredible partnership. She brings deep expertise in skills development and B-BBEE, and she has been an extraordinary collaborator in ensuring that our programmes are structured, impactful and aligned with what young people need to succeed.
Together we have been able to give young people not just a qualification, but real workplace exposure, mentorship and a foot in the door of the tech industry as well.”
The need has never been greater for companies such as Dynamic DNA. “Prudence and her team at Dynamic DNA bring the rigour and heart that make the difference between a programme that ticks boxes and one that changes lives. In a landscape where compliance is complex and the stakes for young people are high, that expertise is invaluable,” Bontle states.
DVT’s dedication to the Learnership Programme is an integral part of the organisation’s values. Jaco van der Merwe, DVT CEO, has been championing youth development for years and under his direction the programme has grown to include additional initiatives.
Bontle says, “As a tech company operating in South Africa, we have an obligation to help build a skilled and capable workforce for the future. We contribute to lifelong learning, increase awareness of career opportunities in the IT sector, provide learners with real work experience and expose them to different occupations within our industry. The learners of today are our future employees, managers and CEOs.”