By Lilian Museka
When the world was busy developing technology some decades ago, Africa slumbered and was left into the analogue world. Fast forward, the continent is forming its own revolution in technological development as it tries to catch up with the rest of the region.
African Engineers are now creating innovations using their own knowledge of technology to suit the specific needs and dynamics of the continent which they now call by Africans for Africa.
And by so doing, the developments are creating various solutions for challenges locally faced. Some of them include developing applications that connect employees to employers, government services, taxi services, managing insurance, innovations in medical among others.
In Kenya for example, M-Pesa, Kenya’s mobile payment system, has revolutionized mobile technology solution for millions and thereby providing many people with access to banking services wherever they are.
The local innovations have since propelled Kenya to be ranked third in Sub-Saharan Africa in the Global Innovation Index (GII) 2018 coming after South Africa and Mauritius and 80 globally.
This means there are many technological opportunities in Kenya that can be harnessed to send the country to a higher solution provider by empowering young and upcoming developers who will, in turn, provide solutions to address local issues, which can also be used around the continent and eventually around the world.
Catherine Kimani, a Software Engineer at Andela is in agreement that young developers have the potential to create solutions for Africans, if encouraged to use their skills and intelligence.
Catherine is a full-time software engineer at Andela, a company that identifies and nurtures talent in software development. A first-class BA graduate in computer engineering from Kenyatta University, she has previously developed a software that helps farmers acquire seeds from the government, dubbed “Growth Enhancement Scheme’ that is currently being used in Nigeria.
Catherine Kimani, a software developer narrating her experience at Andela
“When a call was made by Andela, I applied, was successful, went through the training and have since graduated to a senior engineer where I also give back by mentoring junior engineers,” Catherine says.
Andela is a tech company that identifies and nurture software engineers who in turn combat the global technical challenges. This is done through distributed engineering teams around various sectors to create solutions for particular companies.
“Africa has so much untapped talent that if empowered and utilized, they could hold the keys to unlocking solutions for third world countries. There is a big need for Africa to solve real problems facing Africans and on a global level” says Janet Maingi, Country Director at Andela Kenya.
Janet Maingi, Country Director at Andela Kenya Office
Janet says Kenya is at the forefront of tech innovation on the continent, giving them a reason not just to hire software engineers who will build innovative products, but also develop tech leaders who are passionate about impacting the ecosystem.
Andela was first launched in Nigeria in the year 2014. The company then expanded by placing a call for applications in other African countries. Kenya emerged with over 1,200 applications which showed a lot of tech talent in the country.
Asked how the program works, Janet explains, “The initial fellowship program saw applicants go through a vigorous interview session before being offered an employment contract to become a full-time Andela employee.
As they progress in the Fellowship, they also get to advance in their careers moving from junior engineers to senior software engineers. For 2019, our focus has shifted to include the hiring of experienced engineers. At Andela, we look to accelerate the development of Africa’s best tech talent in Africa, to meet the global demand for high-quality engineering talent”
The company has since expanded to other cities which include Kampala, Kigali, San Francisco and New York City. “We received over 140,000 applications to the Andela Fellowship and hired over 1,300 software engineers, all of whom are now Andela employees,” says Janet.
