Opportunities for software developers in Africa are at an all-time high, according to the 2021 Africa Developer Report by Google and Accenture, opportunities for software developers in Africa are at an all-time high, driven primarily by the booming startup ecosystem and the global demand for remote work. Local businesses are also contributing to this demand as they seek to hire more developers to help them build a better online presence.
The report also looked at ways that technology companies can accelerate access to these opportunities through education and training programs that improve job readiness. At Google, we have been supporting developers in Africa through community and training programs for over 10 years. Today, there are more than 180 active developer communities in 30 countries across Africa. These local developer communities provide developers with the opportunity to connect, learn and grow together. The research report showed that nearly 1 in every 2 developers in Africa has been through a Google developer training or community program.
Mampho and Christopher are two software developers based in Johannesburg and Lagos respectively who have graduated from the Google Africa Developer Scholarship program. They both heard about the opportunity online and decided to apply for the Google Cloud learning track. After completing the training, they went a step further and took the Associate Cloud Engineer certification. This has enabled them to be more productive at work and opened up a world of new opportunities for them. To quote Mampho, “The GADS program empowered me, and showed me that I could be a world-class developer”
Today, we are announcing an additional 30,000 Android and Google Cloudtraining opportunities for aspiring and professional developers in Africa. We are pleased to be partnering with Andela and Pluralsight on this program for the 5th year in a row, continuing our commitment to Africa’s developer ecosystem. Developers selected for the program will gain access to carefully curated training content and hands-on learning experiences. They will also access a pan-African network of peer learning groups and community mentors who will guide them on the learning journey.
Follow this link to apply for the scholarship.
Google also invite you to join us at this year’s virtual Google IO, where we shall be sharing more about Africa’s booming developer ecosystem.
