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Discover why software engineering jobs in Africa are increasing rapidly. With a young population, growing tech startups, increased investment and remote work.
Africa is a continent that is developing, with a young, tech-savvy population and a growing economy. As a result, there is a growing demand for software engineer jobs in Africa. In this blog post, we'll look at five factors contributing to the increase in software engineer jobs in Africa.
In 2022, African tech startups saw unprecedented growth. According to Statista’s report, the number of startups in Nigeria was estimated to have exceeded 3360 in 2022, the highest number in Africa. To follow, Kenya and South Africa counted approximately 1000 and over 660 startups in the same year, respectively. Other key African markets for startups were Ghana, Morocco, Tunisia, and Rwanda. The rise in the number of tech startups and increase in funding indicate a clear rise in the interest and demand for software engineering jobs in Africa. The percentage of Africans with access to the internet and mobile phones has significantly increased over the past ten years. Increased access to the internet has allowed Africans to begin finding solutions to the issues they face within their own communities. New tech startups are able to develop products and services that meet the needs of African consumers as they have a better understanding of the pain points their communities/country faces. Although the access to internet has increased, there is still a long way to go. Many Africans are still without electricity, thus as access to electricity increases, more digital/technological solutions will be created.
The continent's young and expanding population, increasing internet usage, and the adoption of cutting-edge technologies that could increase access to energy, healthcare, financial services, and education make Africa a favourable location for tech entrepreneurs. According to the World Economic Forum, more than 60% of Africa’s population is under the age of 25. By 2030, young Africans are expected to make up 42% of global youth. The youth of Africa are well positioned to create innovative technologies to take on the pain points faced on the continent. Young people are more likely to be innovative and creative, which can result in fresh concepts and remedies in the tech sector. The youth is also more likely to be familiar with new technologies and trends taking place globally, which can help drive innovation in the industry and inspire the youth to adopt technologies created abroad and apply them in an African context.
There is currently a global demand for software developers. Africa is well positioned to meet this demand due to its rising population and increase in software developers. Moreover, European and American based companies are looking towards African developers due to lower salary demands. Having a pool of African developers allows many companies to cut costs due to the salary expectations of African software developers are much lower than those of European and American companies. The resilience of software developers in Africa makes them very attractive to employers. Not only have they been able to overcome barriers frequently experienced in Africa, like infrastructure/electricity issues, but they have also trained themselves to become world-class communicators and software developers. This makes them independent, agile, and self-motivated, which is a great advantage to employers. African developers overcoming such tough challenges gives employers the assurance that they will be able to handle and overcome challenges while working at the company. Since the pandemic, there has been a shift by many companies to hybrid models that include a balance between working at home and coming to the office. The shift towards hybrid and fully remote models has provided the opportunity for African software developers to work for companies around the world.
In recent years, there has been a noticeable increase in the amount of funding for tech startups in Africa. Since 2015, total yearly funding for African tech startups has increased by more than 1,000%. Many venture capital firms and angel investors are showing increasing interest in the continent's rapidly expanding tech ecosystem. This has given startups the funding they desperately need to expand and scale their operations. Overall, the increase in tech startups in Africa is a positive development that has the potential to drive economic growth, create jobs within the software development space, and solve some of the continent's most pressing problems. The World Economic Forum reports that total venture funding on the African continent exceeded 2.5 times what it was in 2020. This figure amounted to an impressive $4.77 billion.
The growing African tech start-up space has led to a rise in the demand for young, talented workers. Africa is emerging as a significant source of software engineering talent and is home to the fastest-growing population of developers. Many governments within Africa are entering and creating suitable environments to foster the growth of the software engineering space. Many African governments are recognizing the potential of the tech sector in Africa and are providing support to startups through initiatives like tax breaks, funding programmes, and regulatory reforms. The push by African governments to help tech startups is ultimately beneficial, as the support of tech startups will lead to local talent being fostered and used to solve issues within their own countries. Outsourcing tech talent to solve African problems has proven costly and not feasible in the long run. Overall, the rise of local talent in the African tech space is a positive trend that is likely to continue as the ecosystem grows and matures.
The rise of software engineer jobs in Africa can be attributed to various factors. A fertile ground for tech startups and innovation has been made possible by the continent's young, active population and growing sense of entrepreneurialism. Aspiring software engineers now have access to resources and training programs thanks to the growth of tech hubs and incubators as well as other factors. The expansion of software engineer jobs in Africa indicates a bright future for the continent's tech industry and economy, even though there are still issues to be solved, such as the digital divide and limited but expanding access to funding.
