The Role of Digital Transformation in the South African Telecommunication Companies

Abstract

The study explored the role of digital transformation on the business model, organizational capabilities, and development of new innovative service offerings for telecommunication organisations in the South African context in the telecommunication sector.

The study used a qualitative approach and the data was collected through semi- structured interviews with twelve participants who work for four telecommunication companies in South Africa. Using purposive sampling, data was collected and analyzed using thematic analysis, forming a pattern recognition of themes that emerged from interviews and the literature.

The study found that digital transformation has a significant role in the changing of business models and the development of new organisational capabilities. Furthermore, the study found that digital transformation has changed the way organizations develop their service offerings to meet ever-changing demands of customers. The findings of this study show that the digital transformation has opened up competition for service providers outside the telecom industry that offer innovative services that challenge the traditional services of telcos.

The findings of the study are consistent with the empirical literature and the theoretical framework of digital transformation and its role on the development of organisational capability, new business models, and innovative digital services in the telco industry. Further studies are recommended to explore the role of digital transformation on other parts of the telco organisations such as operations, customer services, employee performance, and productivity