The lack of talent in the area of ​​application development is a plague that plagues Senegal’s ICT ecosystem.

It was one of the recurring themes during the International Trade Fair for Digital Economy Professionals (SIPEN Dakar 205) which was held in the Senegalese capital on December 14 and 15.

The heads of companies present during the event repeatedly mentioned the difficulties they encountered in finding quality developers or retaining them in their team when “big names” tried to poach them.

Despite privileged working conditions and increasingly attractive salary proposals, a long wait of several months is often inevitable for Senegalese companies, before finding the resources suited to their needs.

Several million francs lost by Senegalese companies

“We are unable to respond to certain calls for tenders because even if we have the necessary experience, we do not have a strong enough team to compete. The contracts end up being awarded to European or Moroccan companies, “said the managing director of one of Senegal’s largest IT services companies wishing to remain anonymous.

“Today, it has become almost impossible to find a quality developer who is not going to ask for a salary close to that of a minister. He added, smirked.

If the problem is not specific to the Senegalese or even African market, the thesis that its effects are even more disabling on the black continent would be easy to defend.

Where have the developers gone?

Several suspects are called to the stand when it comes to identifying the primary culprits for this shortage:

Training centers and universities that do not form the profiles that the markets need,
The majority of students who are satisfied with the mediocre during their training in a field where excellence is required,
African developers trained outside the continent who choose to pursue careers abroad.Or the large international groups which, by setting up in Africa, are poaching the talents hard trained by local actors.

Jimmy Kumako of DevEngine Labs also invited the developers to step out of their comfort zone: “Most young developers don’t want to try new things and stop at what they have learned in college. It is common to meet a developer who spends years working only with the same technology when there are new methods more suited to the work he does. “…” There are plenty of opportunities for developers Africans. Those who can grasp them will be the ones who stand out. “

– See more at: http://www.afriqueitnews.com/2016/01/08/senegal-penurie-de-developpeurs-ralenti-developpement-marche-tic/#sthash.781Jlnbm.dpuf

About The Author

CEO AfrikaTech

Comme beaucoup de personnes j’ai connu l’Afrique à travers des stéréotypes : l’Afrique est pauvre, il y a la guerre, famine… Je suis devenu entrepreneur pour briser ces clichés et participer à la construction du continent. J’ai lancé plusieurs entreprises dont Kareea (Formation et développement web), Tutorys (Plate-forme de e-learning), AfrikanFunding (Plate-forme de crowdfunding). Après un échec sur ma startup Tutorys, à cause d’une mauvaise exécution Business, un manque de réseau, pas de mentor, je suis parti 6 mois en immersion dans l’écosystème Tech au Sénégal. J’ai rencontré de nombreux entrepreneurs passionnés, talentueux et déterminés. A mon retour sur Paris je décide de raconter leur histoire en créant le média AfrikaTech. L'objectif est de soutenir les entrepreneurs qui se battent quotidiennement en Afrique en leur offrant la visibilité, les connaissances, le réseautage et les capitaux nécessaires pour réussir. L'Afrique de demain se construit aujourd'hui ensemble. Rejoignez-nous ! LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/boubacardiallo

Related Posts

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.