Bontle Songo is the HR Executive at DVT, a Dynamic Technologies group company. She was initially drawn to the company by the sense that they genuinely believed in their people, not merely as resources but as individuals with potential to grow. She feels the same way 18 years later.
“I joined with ambition and an appetite for challenges and DVT met me at that level. It still feels like the beginning of something exciting. Almost two decades in one company might surprise people, but when you are growing, learning and making a real impact every day, time moves differently.”
Throughout her career at DVT, Bontle has enjoyed being part of something meaningful. “The culture of continuous development is what makes DVT special. It is not just something we preach; it’s something we live.”
Helping young talent grow is a gift – and it’s one that Bontle cherishes. “I have been part of the DVT Learnership Programme since its inception in 2015. I’ve also been involved in the development of our Internship, Mentorship and our Executive Coaching programmes. Each of these represents a commitment to developing people at every stage of their careers.”
Involvement in the learnership programme means working closely with Dynamic DNA, another Dynamic Technologies group company. Bontle says, “This one is deeply personal. We live in a country where youth unemployment is a crisis, where the scarcity of IT skills is a real barrier to economic growth and where the gap between young people's potential and the opportunities open to them can feel enormous. I believe that companies such as DVT have a responsibility – and frankly a privilege – to be part of the solution.
“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 the forest begin to grow. Each learner represents a life changed, a family impacted, a community uplifted.”
She adds, “Working with Prudence Mathebula, the founder and MD of Dynamic DNA, has been an incredible partnership. She brings profound expertise in skills development and B-BBEE, and she has been an extraordinary collaborator in ensuring that our programmes are structured, impactful and aligned to what young people need to succeed. She is invested in outcomes, not just outputs. Together we have been able to give young people a qualification, real workplace exposure, mentoring and a foot in the door of the tech industry.”
Bontle’s role is to ensure that DVT's people are supported, developed and empowered to do their best work. “I sit at the intersection of people, culture and business strategy,” she explains. “I think about the kind of company DVT wants to be and then help to build the systems, programmes and culture that make the vision real. It involves partnering with leaders to create environments where people thrive, to champion transformation and inclusion and to ensure that we invest meaningfully in the development of our people, from entry-level learners to senior leaders.”
Bontle believes that the most powerful thing HR can do is connect the dots between people and strategy. At DVT, that means ensuring that their transformation agenda, through their learnership and B-BBEE commitments, is a genuine business and social priority and not just a compliance exercise. It means building programmes that develop talent and reduce skills scarcity in real time.
“We foster a culture where people feel valued, where mentorship and knowledge-sharing are celebrated and where all employees across the board feel that they belong and can contribute. Culture is built in the daily habits of an organisation and my role is to help make those habits intentional and positive.”
Bontle challenges those she guides by demanding that they take accountability for their own success. “It is your career and you must drive it. No one is going to force you to grow; you have to want it and pursue it relentlessly.” Her favourite quote is from Colin Powell who said, ‘A dream doesn’t become reality through magic; it takes sweat, determination and hard work.’ “That is as true in tech as anywhere else,” she states.
Her advice to those embarking on careers in the sector is to develop a hunger to learn and never settle. “Master the art of curiosity, always ask why, always want to know more. Be innovative and do not shy away from new ideas. Be self-motivated, do not wait for someone to push you. Be willing to share your knowledge with others because by sharing you also grow.”
The IT space is always evolving and there are more opportunities available today than ever before, but they are available only to those who are willing to chase them. Bontle says, “The way to stand out is not to be the loudest in the room, but to be the most prepared, the most curious and the most committed to continuous improvement. Keep upskilling. Watch the trends. And never stop growing.”