The evolution from tech support to the C-suite was the focus of Nelson Mandela University CIO Lubabalo Lokwe’s address at the recent Digital Ubuntu: CIO Roundtable at Ocean Sciences Campus.
Speaking to CIOs and technology leaders from across the province and beyond, Lokwe described how the role has transformed dramatically over four decades.
“"In the 1980s and ‘90s, most CIOs were placed in finance departments,” he said. “Their job was to keep data centres running, ensure systems were up and reduce costs. They operated behind the scenes with minimal involvement in executive decision-making. They were never invited to the boardroom.”
By the 2000s, CIOs had emerged as business partners working at executive team level, driving digital transformation and innovation. Today, Lokwe said, CIOs were strategic advisers, innovation drivers and human-centred leaders, responsible not only for operational reliability but also for shaping the culture and direction of their organisations.
“The CIO has moved from being a technical support person to a strategic leader,” he said. “The role of the modern CIO is both technical and human: ensuring that technology serves people, rather than the other way around.”
Lokwe’s career mirrors this evolution. He rejoined Mandela University earlier this year after leadership roles in Parliament and the private sector. His philosophy blends strategic foresight, digital transformation and Ubuntu-based ethics, prioritising people, collaboration and ethics and inclusivity alongside technological advancement.
He emphasised that the role demands resilience under pressure, sharing lessons from the University’s rapid pivot to remote learning during the pandemic years of 2020 to 2022. That experience highlighted what has become a defining challenge for modern CIOs: balancing innovation with stability.
“If humans on the ground do not understand the change management issues within the value stream, the technology will not stick,” he said. “We all have a job to do but our people adapt. Change management must run through everything we do.”
Lokwe outlined several critical areas where today’s CIOs must lead. Cybersecurity has become paramount as systems and threats grow more sophisticated.
“When systems go down or emails start bouncing, that is when you rally your troops. You lead with clarity of purpose. You do not panic. That is what collaboration with security teams and infrastructure is all about.”
However, technical competence alone was insufficient. Modern CIOs had to act as strategic enablers, connecting technology initiatives directly to business outcomes and community needs.
“You must enable your teams, your executives and your communities to do what they need to do, when they need to do it,” he said. “If a municipality needs to stay digitally connected, do not dismiss it because they don’t pay rates. Find a way to connect them. That is what a strategic enabler does.”
Ethical AI governance and digital trust emerged as another critical focus.
“It is pointless to say you have AI if you do not govern it. Otherwise you will have every kind of AI tool running around with no direction,” he said. “We need to evaluate and implement scalable solutions and balance expertise with ethics.”
The operational realities also could not be ignored. “If you do not take care of your people, you will have a high turnover of talent. And without a clear budget, there is nothing you can do. You must understand your cost drivers and defend your budget so that you can deliver the services your organisation needs.”
Lokwe’s address reinforced the broader theme of the Digital Ubuntu Roundtable: that educational institutions like Nelson Mandela University are not just generating knowledge but actively collaborating with leaders to co-create digital capital for the Eastern Cape.
“Technology must be visionary, collaborative and human-centred,” he said. “Technology alone is not enough. We lead with people, purpose and values, and then the technology follows.”
By fusing strategic innovation with human development and ethics, Lokwe's address provided a practical blueprint for what the CIO of the 21st century looks like, and how universities can lead the way in shaping a digital, inclusive and Ubuntu-driven society.