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Case study: South African Revenue Service, with Microsoft
Digital talent for a
mission-critical institution
Building the digital capability behind South Africa’s revenue system, by turning emerging talent into role-ready capability inside operational SARS teams.
The capability challenge
More than exposure to technology
SARS is building a smart, AI-enabled revenue authority, and it explicitly identifies preparing its workforce to work alongside AI as a requirement. Its Graduate Development Programme needed to identify high-potential talent, develop role-relevant capability and create a pathway into real operational teams.
Deviare’s role was to turn emerging talent into role-ready digital capability.
Intake by cohort
Each dot is one graduate. Cohort 3 tripled the intake and added Agile, Business Analysis and Power Platform streams.
The Deviare intervention
A capability model connected to real work
Learning paths were built around each graduate’s allocated role. Graduates were integrated into SARS teams including InfoSec Consulting, InfoSec Engineering and CSOC, where SARS reports that practical exposure strengthened their competence and confidence.
Cohort 3 in detail
60 graduates, eight business units, 39 courses
About six courses per graduate, 369 allocations in total
Graduates by business unit
Course allocations by stream
The impact logic
From talent to mission impact
The programme does not claim credit for SARS revenue performance. It shows how targeted skills development strengthens the human capability a modern digital revenue authority depends on.
“Their involvement has been instrumental in developing digital skills, curbing youth unemployment, and building capacity and capabilities essential for digital transformation.”
Caroline Mofolo, Manager: Recruitment, Talent Capability Development, SARS. September 2024.
| Layer | What was delivered |
|---|---|
| Talent | 100 high-potential graduates selected across three cohorts |
| Digital skills | Cloud, cybersecurity, data and AI, and software, extended to Power Platform, Agile and Business Analysis |
| Role readiness | Learning aligned to allocated roles, with 95%+ completion |
| Deployment | Integration into operational teams, with 100% absorption of cohorts 1 and 2 |
| Mission outcomes | Supports SARS service, compliance, revenue protection and modernisation |