Empowering Business Analysts for Society 5.0 and Industry 5.0: Strengthening Capabilities for Digital Transformation in South Africa

Business Analysts (BAs) play a crucial role in driving innovation and facilitating data-driven decision-making, particularly in the evolving technologi-cal landscape of Society 5.0 and Industry 5.0. This paper presents a practical framework for enhancing the skills of BAs to meet the demands of these new paradigms. The framework focuses on developing BAs' skills in data science, data analytics, and research and development, which are crucial for thriving in the Information economy of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Presented at the IIBA-SA 2023 Summit, the framework illustrated the use of Data Science and Analytics tools and techniques to transform customer experience. Specifically, the framework employs Sentiment Analysis to understand customer feedback and Principal Component Analysis (PCA) to extract features impacting customer dis-satisfaction, thereby identifying opportunities for digital transformation. Addi-tionally, the framework introduced the Design Science Research (DSR) method, offering BAs a systematic and rigorous approach to problem-solving, innovation, and knowledge creation. Despite being a new concept for many participants, the framework generated high interest and curiosity. This paper underscores the im-portance of empowering BAs to adapt to the evolving technological landscape, enabling them to contribute significantly to problem-solving and knowledge cre-ation in South Africa.