Africa’s growing population is expected to have a significant impact on the global workforce, particularly in technical roles. By 2030, the number of software developers is predicted to reach 45 million, up from 24.3 million in 2021. To meet this demand, the world needs to train more workers for tech fields.
The Demographic Crisis and Africa’s Opportunity
The world is facing a demographic crisis due to falling birth rates and longer life expectancies. This will lead to a shrinking global population by 2100. As countries become wealthier, more educated, they have fewer children. This has already led to a slowdown in economic engines. Africa, as the last big region to undergo industrialization, presents a significant opportunity to bring more workers into tech fields. Currently, only 1% of software developers are African, despite the continent having 17% of the world’s population.
Qwasar’s Tech Skills Program
Qwasar, a tech skills program, has launched in several African countries, including Nigeria, Cameroon, Gabon, Niger, and Senegal, since 2019. In partnership with a local university, they run an in-person coding bootcamp in Cameroon and an online tech upskilling program for Nigerians. Qwasar’s graduates typically work for offshoring companies, with Nigerian graduates working for American clients and French-speaking Cameroonians looking to France. The homegrown African tech industry is also growing quickly.
The opportunity for Africa’s tech industry is significant. Qwasar’s success in training African software developers demonstrates that there is the potential, and the homegrown African tech industry is growing fast. To address the tech talent shortage, the United States have to be more supportive of working parents, friendlier to immigration, and invest more in education and career-changing. The tech workforce will become increasingly international, and Africa will be a growing force.
“Africa matters,” said Kwame Yamgnane, CEO and co-founder of Qwasar, a Silicon Valley-based coding bootcamp that is betting on the continent.
