Natarajan Meghanathan, et al. (Eds): ITCS, SIP, JSE-2012, CS & IT 04, pp. 455–478, 2012. © CS & IT-CSCP 2012 DOI : 10.5121/csit.2012.2141            Robert T. Hans 1 and Pantaleo M.D. Rwelamila 2 1 Tshwane University of Technology, Pretoria, South Africa hansr@tut.ac.za 2 Graduate School of Business Leadership, University of South Africa, Midrand, South Africa rwelapmd@unisa.ac.za ABSTRACT The primary purpose of this research study is two-fold: Firstly, to establish the knowledge base of project managers in the South African ICT Sector. Secondly, to establish whether project management as a discipline is regarded as an important profession in the South African ICT Sector. The paper based on a questionnaire analyses and discusses the knowledge base of project managers of ICT organisations listed on the Johannesburg Securities Exchange (JSE) as well as the perceived importance of project management in the South African ICT Sector. The project managers lack some project management knowledge base in some of the nine categories of competencies. This confirms some of the findings by Rwelamila (2007) that project management training programmes offered by institutions of higher learning in South Africa are skewed. This paper also established that the organisations in the South African ICT Sector recognise project management as an important profession. The lack of some project management fundamental knowledge base by project managers necessitate that the organisations concerned should implement some of the following: review project management training programmes and implement mentoring and coaching programmes. This article reveals the knowledge base gaps of project managers in the South African ICT Sector. It also reveals whether project management is regarded as an important profession by organisations in the South African ICT Sector. It complements another research study done by Rwelamila (2007) in South Africa. It is directed to the South African organisations in the ICT Sector as well as institutions of higher learning in South Africa that offer project management training programmes. KEYWORDS Knowledge base, project managers, project management, expertise, competencies. 1. INTRODUCTION Anderson and Merna (2005) state that projects that perform poorly signal a credibility gap as to the need for and competence of management in project mode. Provided that projects are led by knowledgeable and competent project managers, good project management techniques and tools alone are of little value to an organisation. After all, projects are managed by project managers.