The global economy is being transformed by technology, and more change is expected! As a result, countries all over the world have already begun the process of transitioning to a digital economy. Without a doubt, the fourth industrial revolution holds a lot of promise for Sub-Saharan Africa, as emerging technologies like Artificial Intelligence, the Internet of Things, Big data, Cloud computing, and Machine learning can revolutionize the continent.
Therefore, the major concern here is whether Africa is making significant progress in digital literacy, which will lead to positive economic growth and development.
Despite being home to eight of the world’s ten fastest-growing economies, the existing quo is unacceptable because only 50% of African countries, compared to 85% of countries worldwide, include “computer skills” in their school curricula. A recent IFC Digital Skills in Sub-Saharan Africa report, estimates that 230 million jobs in Sub-Saharan Africa would require digital skills by 2030, representing a $130 billion opportunity to teach digital skills to consumers, enterprises, and government agencies through a combination of B2C, B2B, and B2G training services.
Corporate-backed initiatives are gaining traction, as several African-based and foreign-based businesses with a presence in Africa are taking advantage of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to launch ground-breaking and effective digital skills training programs aimed at closing Africa’s digital skills gap.
