King IV and the rise of IT governance careers
King IV made it explicit: South African boards are accountable for technology and information governance, not merely for approving its budget. That single principle created sustained demand for people who can translate between the boardroom and the server room.
The roles wear several titles — IT governance officer, technology risk manager, IS auditor — but share one function: providing assurance that technology risk is known, managed and reported honestly. Financial services and state-owned entities hire most heavily, driven by regulators who now inspect IT governance directly.
The skill set is a deliberate hybrid. Framework fluency (COBIT for governance, ISO 27001 for security, ITIL for operations) supplies the structure; audit technique supplies the evidence discipline; and communication ability makes findings land without warfare.
Entry typically comes from IT operations, audit or risk backgrounds, with certification as the credibility bridge.
It is unglamorous, resilient and consistently senior work — governance meetings happen in good years and bad, and someone certified has to be in the room.