The tech industry is fast-growing, and Africa has become the new hub for labour market, business opportunities, innovation and capacity in the digital space.
According to tech experts, there has been a significant shift of global demand for tech talents to Africa due to the quality tech companies that are coming out of the continent and becoming global firms.
Speaking on the theme ‘Digital Up-skilling – the sure way to stand out in the increasingly IT-demanding world of work’ at the educataGhana 2022, president and manager of Hacklab Foundation, Foster Awintiti, stated that Africa is in a position of global appeal for the masses that are looking for tech talents to feed foreign countries.
“According to the projected statistics presented by the World Economic Forum, the United Nations projects clearly that by 2050 Africa is going to have the largest youngest population in the world. Today as we speak, Africa is the single largest trade bloc in the world, which came into force earlier last year due to the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA),” he stated.
He added that international organisations have envisaged the growing tech ecosystem in Africa, and hence are making massive contribution and investment toward building the continent’s budding digital space.
“As of half-year 2022, total investment into the tech space in Africa was about US$4billion; twice that of total investment in 2021. This tells you that the thirst for Africa and Ghana in terms of tech and innovation is accelerating,” he said.
Also, Director of Operations-Amalitech Ghana Limited, Matthew Dankwa, stated that there is global increase in demand for digital skills and talents – a perfect sector to reduce the unemployment rate, should the country take advantage of this opportunity.
“In terms of the digital work, it is already here; the companies need them. There are projected 1.1 million and 6.1 million shortfalls of talents for computer and mathematics actors by 2030 in Germany and the United States respectively. Every 9 out of 10 jobs require digital skills, and employers are actively seeking employees with digital skills to adapt to an increasingly digitalised environment,” he mentioned.
He added that in order for Ghana not to miss out on the opportunity to attain digital employment and technological development from the growing demand for IT skills and innovations, the educational system should equip students to meet the industry and international demand.
“Our education system at the universities gives some sort technical knowledge. So we are half-way there. It’s just a matter of transferring the academic knowledge to the industry level that is needed. We have to bridge the gap between industrial and international standard ways of work, and that can be done through training and offering jobs,” he said.
