Increased Digital Jobs for African Youths

Amolo Ng’weno - the Managing Director of Digital Divide Data (DDD) believes that the possibility of impact sourcing is increasing at a remarkable rate in Africa. The company came into existence just before two and a half years ago, but now it provides employment to around 300 youths, in which some of them are even having problem in hearing and are from the urban slums of Nairobi.

She said “The demand of digital jobs is increasing globally and so Africa is thinking on this point of view seriously and image what DDD believes in and is promoting.” Digital jobs are having a bright future in Africa.

Impact sourcing employs the socio-economically underprivileged people. Their work is to provide information based services to domestic and international people and private sector clients. Work can include data entry, Internet research and call center jobs.

According to a report provided by Rockefeller Foundation in 2011 estimated that the impact sourcing field already worth around 5 billion U.S. dollars and has the capacity to reach 20 billion dollars by 2015. Based on this scenario the foundation launched its “Digital Jobs Africa” initiative at the World Economic Forum in Cape Town before four months. Their initiative is to change millions of lives through skills training and providing them employment in next seven years.  

Taddy Blecher of South Africa's Impact Sourcing Academy points out that even U.K. and Europe have designated South Africa as their top outsourcing destination. The academy just started a year and a half ago and provided training to nearly 800 youths. Around 350 are going for university degrees and the rest have jobs which is divided among 16 employers.

He further said that “South Africa is having great potential to become top impact sourcing destination universally and not only this but we are also getting a lot of support from the South African government for this initiative because it creates jobs in the country.”

The South African government is supporting by creating 300 million dollar BPO and Offshoring program that attracts the foreign companies to create digital jobs. Between July 2007 and March 2010, at least 6000 new jobs were created and attracted about 31 million dollars in direct investment.

For Blecher its something more than a good business. He says “It's both, a profitable and sustainable business where large number of individuals received training and good job with good opportunities in future with a move in  economy levels.”

Not only the South African government but other African governments are also aware of the strength for impact sourcing. In West Africa, Ghana established the Information Technology Enabled Services, which is a part of the government’s eGhana Project to develop the data processing industry through addressing obstacles to investment.

In Kenya, the business outsourcing is a part of the company’s master plan for development, called Vision 2030 as landmark of social and economic improvement. The Kenyan government expects that by 2017, information technology can be seen contributing around two billion dollars or 25% of GDP as a part of the economy. It also anticipates that IT will develop 500 technology companies and create 50,000 jobs.

Ng'weno of DDD sees the possibility for growth. “We are having the youths who can speak english and with a good knowledge of technology, the Internet, Cell phones. Also good education system. We are also having fair amount of educated unemployed youth who want to work and they are well prepared for digital jobs.”- she said. Number of youths have joined DDD directly after their high school and are having powerful positions where they are managing up to 30 people.

Apart from this they are also supporting their younger siblings to go to school, support their parents to have good amount of food to eat, and they invest some money for their future. DDD currently employees 1,000 people including the operations in kenya and Asia. And their goal is to increase the number up to 3,000 by the next five years.

Blecher said that the Impact Sourcing Academy is all set to open its second South african office in Durban and also expecting one in Cape Town, as well as expanding in other countries where  impact sourcing is catching the speed.

Samasource the digital jobs provider, based in San Francisco U.S., operates in three different African countries: Uganda, Kenya, and Ghana. Their chief recruits are women. Mary Ann Byrnes the CEO says that the most important thing of the company is the measuring impact.

She further added “According to our latest data, 89% of our workers are having successful outcomes which includes schooling, qualifying and getting additional work, and for some its both, school and work, which is really powerful for us. Samasource has employed 3,700 people till now, and help in improving the lives of more than 15000 of their dependents.