by Shukuru Amos
The 21st century is the African century. This is because Africa has the fastest growing population of youth, which makes it the youngest continent in the world. By 2050, over one-third of the global working-age population will be residing in Africa. That’s why many people view Africa as a potential gold mine for job opportunities.
But how can you take advantage of this trend? What are some of the best emerging career opportunities in Africa? Let’s find out!
Data Analysis and Data Science
There’s been a surge of interest in data science among African companies. Many African businesses are seeking to leverage data to improve performance. There are a few reasons why data science is crucial in Africa.
First, many African countries rely heavily on agriculture. With the increased adoption of technology in agriculture, farmers will need data scientists to help them integrate sensors and other technology into their operations. Data science is also important in African cities, which are rapidly growing. As urban areas expand, there’s a growing need for data scientists who can help city planners make smarter decisions.
3D Printing and Manufacturing
As Africa develops, new manufacturing industries will emerge. 3D printing is one technology that’s likely to grow in popularity. Many African entrepreneurs are using 3D printing to manufacture goods that they sell online and locally. Some of the goods being produced by African manufacturers include toys, fashion accessories, medical devices, and even houses.
As online shopping increases across Africa, industries like 3D printing will likely see an uptick in demand. If you’re looking for a career in manufacturing, it’s a good idea to get a handle on 3D printing technology.
Digital Marketing and e-Commerce
In the next decade, more Africans will access the internet on a regular basis than any other continent in the world. The number of internet users in Africa is expected to increase from 472 million in 2019 to over 1 billion by 2025. That’s why it’s a good idea to explore career options related to digital marketing and e-commerce.
These industries will likely experience significant growth in the coming years. If you’re interested in these types of careers, it’s a good idea to familiarize yourself with the latest trends in digital marketing and e-commerce. You can find free online courses to help you learn more about these skills, or approach a marketing agency to learn and gain practical experience.
Development of Smart Cities
As Africa’s urban population increases, so will the demand for smart cities. A smart city uses a combination of sensors, data analytics, and technology to improve the efficiency and quality of life for residents.
Many African nations are beginning to implement smart city initiatives. If you’re interested in working in the urban planning and design industry, it’s a good idea to familiarize yourself with smart city initiatives in Africa. This will help you stay informed about the latest developments in the industry.
Robotics and Automation
Robotics and automation are expanding in Africa. As the economy grows, African businesses are increasingly investing in automation. This is because automation is a cost-effective and efficient way to improve business performance.
If you’re interested in a career related to robotics and automation, it’s a good idea to familiarize yourself with the latest developments in this industry. You can do this by visiting robotics conferences and exhibitions.
Sustainable Mobility
As African cities develop and become more densely populated, they’ll need more sustainable transportation options. In many African cities, public transportation is not as effective as it could be, which is why many people rely on personal vehicles.
As cities become more crowded and traffic congestion becomes a growing problem, sustainable public transportation will become increasingly important. If you want to leverage career opportunities in sustainable mobility, you might consider working with the public transportation department in an African city.
Environment and Climate Change
Africa is experiencing serious environmental challenges, especially related to climate change. Many African countries experience significant droughts and flooding due to climate change. If you’re interested in a career related to the environment and climate change, you can find work in Africa. To learn more about how you can get involved in this type of work, visit websites like the United Nations Environment Programme or the African Union Environment.
Agritech and Food Supply Chain
As the population of Africa continues to grow, so will the demand for food. In many African countries, the food supply chain is not ideal. To meet the needs of a growing population, African businesses are investing in agritech and food supply chain solutions. If you’re interested in a career in agritech, you can find work in Africa. To learn more about how you can get involved in this type of work, visit websites like the Alliance for Food Security in Africa.
Conclusion
In the next decade, more Africans will have access to the internet than any other continent in the world. As the population of Africa grows, there will be an increased demand for new technologies and career opportunities.
It is a smart idea to pick a few skills among the merging ones so you can compete int the job market. Thank you for reading. Share this article a young African career aspirant.
by Shukuru Amos
Africa is home to a growing number of freelancers who provide services online. These digital workers enable Africans to participate in the global gig economy, which is expected to grow in the coming years. As the gig economy grows, concerns remain about how it will impact African freelancers and their ability to compete with non- Africans.
These digital platforms have enabled more people globally to become freelancers and offer services online at a lower cost than traditional businesses. The number of African freelancers has grown as a result of these developments, especially among millennials in several countries.
However, there are many barriers that continue to limit opportunities for African freelancers. Let’s take a closer look at these issues and what can be done about them.
What is the gig economy?
A gig economy refers to the practice of individuals finding work through online platforms, with little or no commitment from the employer. The term “gig” refers to the short-term nature of many of these tasks, which can include anything from freelance writing to online coding.
According to a McKinsey Global Institute report, gig work is expected to grow globally as a result of several factors. These include an aging population, which will reduce the number of people working in the formal sector, as well as an increase in the number of women working.
Additionally, advancements in technology have made it easier for people to work remotely — including freelancers — and enabled them to earn more by serving a broader client base.
African freelancer demographics
Freelancers in Africa are a relatively young group, with 46% of them under 35 years old. Millennials represent a larger portion of the African freelancer demographic than any other generation. This is partly due to the fact that millennials are more likely to work in the digital economy and are comfortable with technology as well as with freelance work.
Freelancers in Africa earn an average of $8 an hour, with Liberians earning the highest average rate of $14 an hour and Nigerians earning the lowest average of $4 an hour. Freelancers in Africa hail from a wide range of occupation groups, including health and education professionals, professional and technical workers, and business and finance workers.
The majority of African freelancers work in the business and financial services industry, with a smaller number of freelancers working in the health and education industry.
Rising demand for digital services
The growing demand for digital services has made online freelancing platforms, such as UpWork and Freelancer.com, more attractive to Africans. In fact, Africans have been some of the most active users of these platforms.
As more Africans participate in these online platforms, they provide an opportunity for Africans to earn more and gain a foothold in an industry that has been historically off limits to them.
However, digital services face several challenges. Africans are not the only ones who want to participate in the digital economy. The gig economy has become a global phenomenon, with people from other regions migrating to Africa and competing with local digital services.
Concerns for African freelancers in the gig economy
The digital economy has created new challenges for freelancers in Africa as it has elsewhere. Many Africans have complained that they have to wait longer than non-African freelancers to secure a job on online platforms.
We have also heard from African freelancers that they feel they are asked to work for less than non-African freelancers. The growing presence of non-African freelancers on digital platforms has raised the question of whether Africans will be able to compete against them.
Freelancers in Africa tend to be younger and earn less than non-African freelancers, who may have more experience and a larger client base.
Conclusion
The gig economy has created opportunities for Africans to earn money and participate in the global marketplace. However, the growth of this industry has also raised concerns over how African freelancers will be able to compete with non-African freelancers.
In order to tackle these issues, African freelancers need to build networks, collaborate, and continue to innovate. They also need to be patient, as it may take some time before they are able to earn as much as they would like.
by Shukuru Amos
In this day and age, digital tools and skills have proved to have the power to generate revenue, and companies want to harness that power and stay ahead of their competitors.
This has resulted in a rise in digital jobs currently with an estimation of 150,000 digital jobs expected to be created by 2020.
Companies are now abandoning traditional marketing methods and invest millions of money into online marketing and digital branding.
These are the top 5 highest paying jobs in digital marketing industry so far.
Digital Project Management/Planning
Salary in US ranges between $78,750 to $118,000 while In UK it is from £60,000 to and £80,000.
Job Roles: Digital project managers are essential for overseeing the implementation of a variety of digital campaigns and strategies. Main duties often include establishing and documenting goals and objectives, creating comprehensive project plans, setting timelines and project milestones, and allocating/managing budgets.
Content Strategist
Salary in the US ranges between $1,250 to $115,000. In the UK it’s from £70,000
Job Roles: Developing and managing a complete content strategy that is tailored to a company’s digital strategy objectives, as well as the needs and preferences of their target audience. Being able to conduct content audits, create style guides, populate editorial calendars, and where, required, either create or curate relevant, high-quality content.
E-commerce Specialist
Salary in the UK is between £350,000 to £70,000. In US it’s from $90,000 to $126,000
Job Roles: To optimize product pages, from creating compelling descriptions to the perfect placement of buttons and CTAs with the goal of increasing conversions. Ability to using analytics and heat mapping tools to identify patterns in website user behavior and make changes accordingly.
Digital Media Manager
Salary in the UK is between £41,00 to £70,000. In the US it’s from $70,000.
Job Roles: Digital Media Managers are responsible for delivering multi-channel marketing campaigns and defining a brand’s digital strategy and messaging, with the intention of driving awareness, consideration and adoption of your organization’s product/service offerings. There’s often a strong focus on paid media channels, including social, display, programmatic and retargeting channels. A Digital Media Manager’s key objectives include driving online sales (sometimes in collaboration with e-commerce specialists), delivering revenue and developing new commercial opportunities through strategic management and optimization.
Brand Media Manager
Salary in the UK ranges between £40,000 to £53,000. In the US it’s from $66,000 to $98,000.
Job Roles: Brand marketing involves having a detailed understanding of a variety of content formats (both visual and written) and distribution methods and being able to utilize them in order to increase engagement, create brand advocates and encourage repeat sales. As a brand marketing specialist, you will be able to produce tight creative briefs in line with your brand goals when engaging external stakeholders.
In countries like Tanzania where Digital Marketing is still growing, an individual with a digital marketing role in a company may cover all of the roles above and even more. Even salary standards are not yet known.
SOURCE: This article first appeared on the Digital Marketing Institute
Are you planning to take a career in Digital Marketing? Go ahead, the future is promising. You won’t regret your decisions.
If you want to advance your career with industry recognized professionals, take a course from the Digital Marketing Institute.
Other places where you can learn digital marketing include HubSpot Academy, Hootsuite, Google Digital Skills for Africa and more
by Shukuru Amos
All you need to keep up with today’s digital world is a smartphone and a laptop. And good English of course. If you are like me (I hate being left out in this fast-changing world), you’d probably have learned a few digital skills by now. The world is becoming digital. And so should you.
Here’s a random list of things you can do to make sense of the digital world. Perhaps even develop a career and earn a living out of it. Thanks to distance learning, you can even enroll in an institution remotely.
You can do web designing
Thanks to automation tools like WordPress, now everyone can become a web designer with zero coding skills. I created this very website using no coding at all. However, if you are looking to establish yourself as a web designer, you’ll need to learn at least basic coding skills like HTML and CSS. You can create your own blog and start earning from it by placing ads, selling e-books, or writing sponsored articles on it.
Social media marketing
Ever heard of a job called social media manager or social media handler? You’ll excel in this field if you are passionate about social media and have good communication skills. Companies get on social media platforms to engage and build relationships with their customers as well as getting new ones.
Managers are also aware of how overwhelming it is to run a business and keep an eye on online conversations. They need someone to do this. You can be the one. You can also use social media to promote your own service or products.
Graphic design
If you are like me, (I hate the learning curve of photoshop) Canva is there for you. It is a simplified graphic designing platform for everyone to use. Thanks to Melanie Perkins for bringing graphic design to everyone. I do lots of designing for my digital agency using Canva.
Video marketing
What is the largest search engine next to Google? Is it Yahoo? Or Bing? The answer is YouTube. People spend a lot of time watching videos online. Many companies need to be exactly where their people are. If you’re good at making videos then you are the most wanted person in the job market.
Content Writing and Copywriting
Everyone can write but not everyone can write for a company’s reputation. Especially online reputation. Companies are looking for someone who can create content that’s not only about their products and services but content that builds trust in their audience. Are you good at storytelling? You could be the next content writer to be hired.
How about Influencer Marketing?
People are now becoming brands and brands are trying to be people. Managers are looking for credible third parties to push their brand’s awareness to people. If you have a bigger following on social media and have the ability to engage them, you can approach big businesses and brands and offer to help them reach a bigger audience (your audience). Think of Idris Sultani and Uber in Tanzania. Your online visibility is a goldmine! Start digging.
Job searching and networking
If you can’t use the internet for learning new skills, you can use it to land your next dream job.
The truth is, some of us will not rely on family connections. We will have to build ourselves from scratch. If you are like me, who grew up in the village where the only connection my parents could give is to introduce me to a fellow farmer, then you have no choice than to invest in your online presence. There are professional platforms like LinkedIn where you can showcase your skills and connect with hiring managers.
Career development
Every rising sun presents an urgent need for new and relevant skills. Schools give us organized education but the internet gives us everything. With the increased access to free information, you can learn just about anything online. I have honed my skills in digital marketing and writing by reading articles and taking courses online. The world needs those who are comfortable with learning new skills every day —lifelong learners.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and Search Engine Marketing (SEM)
As managers are launching their businesses online, the struggle becomes how to be visible on top of search engine results. Every business online wants more traffic, more leads, and more sales. However, this is not something that can be achieved easily. It requires a dedicated digital strategy. If you happen to be good at these skills, everyone is looking for you.
You can learn Web Analytics
Today’s world is about data. Data is the most valuable commodity just like it used to be with factories during the industrial revolution. Many companies have a website, they have social media accounts and they run ads. But they don’t monitor their online efforts.
They don’t know what is working and what isn’t. They have no ideas about what people do when they visit their sites. If you’re good at analyzing data, you can help businesses make data-driven decisions or implement these skills on your own online platforms.
Email marketing
Just like social media, email is a great way for businesses to engage with their customers. Today’s email marketing is built on people who have opted to receive information about your services through email. It starts with the subscription button. Then what happens after that can grow or kill your business. This is why people who know what they are doing are highly needed. Think you can do it? Go for it.
Paid Per Click Ads – PPC
Sometimes as a business, you just need to get in front of your customers online real quick. Well, you need to pay for that. Paying isn’t the hard part though, but creating a great display advertisement can be very challenging. Now, whether you want to implement PPC on your own online campaigns or use it as a service to offer to others, you can start by learning it online.
The opportunities in the digital world are endless. I just shared a few of them. These opportunities are not limited to coders only. There is a place for everyone in technology. You just need to find out where your interests are.
