Guest editorial : thematic section : issues in educational informatics : renewing our human resources for the digital economy

For over forty years, the Southern African Computer Lecturers Association (SACLA) has provided a platform for lecturers in computer science and information systems throughout Southern Africa's higher education institutions to come together to address issues concerning the teaching and learning of ICT related topics. The 44th annual SACLA conference was held in June 2015 and was based on the theme of "renewal" entitled, Renewing ICT teaching and learning: Building on the past to create new energies. Seventy ICT lecturers from twelve academic institutions throughout Southern Africa convened, in the heart of Johannesburg, to report innovations in and new perspectives on what and how we teach ICT. The renewal of ICT teaching and learning within higher education is important for building the human resource capacity of the ICT sector, addressing e-skills, and thereby strengthening the role of ICT in the transformation of society and economic activity.