According to a report by Africa developer ecosystem released by Google and Accenture in 2021, it was disclosed that Africa currently has over 700k software developers with 21% as women. It was recorded that there was a 3.8% rise in the current number of software developers as compared to that of 2020. According to a survey conducted, more than 50% of these developers are concentrated in 5 major regions, which are; Egypt, Morocco, Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa.
American search engine company Google interviewed 1,600 software developers, and it was discovered that 38% of African developers work for at least one company based outside of their continent. According to a survey, at least four (4) out of every ten African software developers work for at least one company based outside the continent, while five (5) work for local start-ups.
According to a report, there are three (3) major factors across the tech ecosystem that contributed to the increase in the demand for African software developers
- The first is the increasing capacity of local start-ups to hire over half of African developers as they raised over $4 billion in 2021.
- The second is the increased global demand for remote tech talent, which was accelerated by the pandemic. This has created more remote employment opportunities for African developers.
- The third is the fact that local businesses increased their use of the Internet and hired developers to help them grow their business.
I am not surprised at the high demand for African software developers globally. Mere looking at the groundbreaking achievements that the Fintech ecosystem has recorded in the region, it is not far-fetched to say that the demand for African software developers will definitely sky-rocket as they are intertwined. There has also been an increase (22%) in the use of the internet among small and medium scale businesses which automatically will see the need for web development services also increase.
According to a report, African start-ups have raised over $4 billion in 2021 with fintech start-ups making up over half of the funding. These start-ups hire over half of Africa’s developer population. This is because start-ups are often the first businesses willing to hire junior developers, providing critical on-the-job training, especially in emerging markets. The aftermath of the covid-19 pandemic led to most organizations having to work remotely. The high demand for remote work led to increased opportunities for many African developers, as many of them got hired by International companies.
A report disclosed that the average African developer is seven years younger than their counterpart and has up to three years of experience. This has shown that African software developers possess strong programming experience both in web and mobile, and one in two developers build apps for Android. Amazing!
The African continent has indeed proven that something spectacular can emerge from its region. Hopefully, they won’t rest on their oars, as they will continue to change the narrative of the African region from being more of consumers to producers. This is the time for the government in the African region to also boost Africa’s digital growth by implementing policies and regulations that will play a pivotal role to support the growth of Africa’s technological sector.
According to a report, countries like Kenya and Nigeria have continued to show a strong commitment to ensuring that they empower tech businesses as well as upskilling youths. As countries like Nigeria continue to transform the tech sector, it is proven that their commendable acts will unlock more opportunities for developers who in turn will grow the economy.
