Africa might have been a late bloomer for technology, but the continent has picked and has so far being able to compete favorably amongst other continents. As technology hubs and ecosystems spread across the continent, we have seen a growth in the number of software developers across the continent.
While most of these software engineers tend to struggle a bit unlike their contemporaries in developed countries, they still come out as top developers. We have seen many Africans make us proud with their startup companies and mind-blowing software.
The talent of African developers has been noticed round the world. Take for instance, Microsoft invested over $100 million for its development centers in Africa that employed 100 full-time African developers. The plan is to get a developer pool that will change the way we see technology in the continent and produce some of the most competing software on earth.
There is no sign of these talents slowing down because every season, we see new startups sprout up to help us with amazing solutions. From finance to sports, food to tourism, religion to education, Africans software developers have made us proud.
The developer bloom has come to stay and we cannot be less proud of what they are doing for us. One of the reports of GitHub’s latest annual State of the Octoverse stated that African developers created 40% more open source repositories on the software engineering marketplace. This type of story that inspires young and budding aspiring developers among us.
Morocco stands stronger when it comes to producing developers in Africa. This does not mean that other countries have not found success in developing software. We have countless programs and software created by Africans and for Africans.
While most software developers find their homes in the megacities, others grow from where they are to the world. Even when some of these engineers leave Africa, they still find it easier to compete with the rest of the world. Thanks to the online community where you can learn anything.
The Africa’s tech market is huge and promising. The women are not left behind in this niche. We have seen many of our African women come up with businesses that offer employment and support to their communities. With thousands of junior software developers staying awake to think out programs to change the world, we still have many limiting factors.
One of the challenges these developers face is lack of funds and platforms to grow these aspiring talents. These challenges have been shown to greatly affect the enthusiasm of developers and force so many of them to seek opportunities outside the continent or as freelancers. Despite this, different countries on the continent has its pool of developers who are striving against the odds to create amazing software for their people.
In summation, African has become a hub to some of the best talents on earth. If the right platform and mentoring is offered to some of these developers coupled with the funds to keep their enthusiasm, they have the ability to make Africa, the home of software development.
The good news is that most of their gadgets are getting more affordable unlike at the onset. Laptops and PCs are no longer as expensive as they were when we first got them. With the right government policies and support, these developers will create better software for the world.
