Addressing the Tech Talent Shortage in Africa

When some of us think of this continent and what makes it special, we think of what could become our African Dream. We envision smart cities in different regional blocs with digital economies powering many major cities. Startups becoming global powerhouses from Nairobi to Cape Town to Casablanca. But the reality is that we don’t have enough skilled talents to build any of these dreams.

This has become a continental crisis that people don’t talk much about, and if this isn’t fixed, our African Dream may remain as it is.

Why is this a big deal? Well, Tech is beyond apps or fancy gadgets, now, with the adoption of emerging technologies, when mothers in countries like Malawi access Telemedicine for their kids and small businesses in Senegal accept digital payments for the first time, that’s how economies grow. That’s how jobs are created and how Africa competes globally.

Factors Influencing the Talent Shortage

Africa’s talent crisis didn’t happen by accident. It is the result of decades of systemic neglect, mismatched priorities, and a global economy that is ever-ready to poach before we can protect our own. But let us talk about these systemic failures;

Outdated Education Systems

Our education systems are stuck in the 20th century, with computer labs in many schools/institutions having just 1-3 dusty desktops running Windows XP. Many teaching syllabuses still include “How to use Microsoft Word 2007”; meanwhile, the world is racing towards Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Blockchain, and Quantum computing. This isn’t an exaggeration, it is the reality for millions of students. Most African schools still treat Tech as an afterthought, not a skill. Universities still churn out graduates with theoretical knowledge and zero hands-on experience. By the time they enter the already crowded job market, their knowledge is obsolete.

A Lack of Adequate Infrastructure

We cannot skip the infrastructure gaps. How do you become a world-class software engineer when your neighborhood has power cuts 10 times daily because a country’s national grid collapses almost every fourth night? How do you join a global Zoom meeting when your internet costs $25-$50 per month but moves at the speed of a tired sloth? Without reliable electricity, affordable and fast internet, and modern tools, even the brightest minds get left behind.

Mass Migration to Greener Pastures

How about the big elephant in the room? Thousands of Africa’s best developers, engineers, and data scientists each year accept job offers abroad. But can we blame them? Better pay, innovative and cutting-edge projects, and work visas were dangled in front of them. When they eventually leave, our startups and their infrastructure will be one day away from packing up if they are not replaced ASAP. Delayed projects mean lost investors, and burnout means sloppy products. When they leave, we lose one more solution to problems only Africans understand and relate to. How do you build a fintech app for unbanked communities if your lead developer just moved to Berlin? How do you design an AI for African languages if your data scientist is in California? We’re essentially funding other countries’ tech booms while ours slows down.

For every success story like Flutterwave and Andela, ten other startups folded because they couldn’t scale their teams. For every techie who “made it,” hundreds more quit because the grind wasn't worth it—we are talking poor pay, chaotic workplaces, zero mentorship, etc.

Addressing the Tech Talent Shortage in Africa

In the same way we didn’t land here overnight, we won’t fix this overnight, but we can start from somewhere.

Revamp the Education Curriculum

From classrooms, children are beginning to learn coding alongside Maths and English. It is already happening in pockets of the continent, with countries like Kenya and Rwanda revising their education framework to include robotics, teaching the kids to build and program machines using locally sourced materials. However, scaling this requires partnerships where governments can collaborate with tech giants like Google, Microsoft, and local platforms like ALX to subsidize certifications and provide free or affordable standardized training.

Create Opportunities for Talent

The paradox of "entry-level jobs requiring five years of experience” is a global joke, but it is a crisis here in Africa. Breaking this cycle demands a shift from traditional internships to hands-on apprenticeships. Decagon’s previous model flipped this script as their trainees would go through a 6-month intensive coding bootcamp, after which they were placed in roles with partner companies that covered their tuition. Even hiring or talent sourcing needs an overhaul. When skills are prioritized over certification, we unlock the potential in self-taught programmers and unconventional problem solvers.

Build an Enabling Environment

Some people will argue that retaining talent requires more than good pay; the environment also plays a huge role. How would a brilliant Nigerian developer stay in Lagos when Amsterdam offers triple the salary plus uninterrupted electricity? The answer lies in creating ecosystems where talent thrives.

Government Support Programs/Policies

Too often, governments treat tech as a side project rather than an economic pillar. Can we set up policies that actually incentivize growth? Providing tax rebates to companies training talents to enable them to hire more people to develop their skills. At this time, every African nation needs a decade-long broadband strategy, internet access should be treated as a public utility rather than a privilege. And considering that visa reforms can also catalyze growth, countries should set up a pan-African “Tech-Resident Visa” that lures experts to work locally while maintaining global ties.

Final Thoughts

We can go on, but the truth is, this isn’t even a niche issue. Tech talent shortages trickle down to everyone. When hospitals can’t hire IT staff, patient records get lost. Your savings are at huge risk when banks or financial institutions can't find cybersecurity experts. When governments cannot build digital systems, corruption will continue to thrive, as we are already witnessing. When startups shut down, thousands of jobs are lost. Africa’s tech talent gap is holding back progress, and if we continue to ignore it, we are essentially saying, “Let someone else build Africa’s future.". The spoiler is, they won't!