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US$80million available for specialists in 4 African countries
Kampala, Uganda | JULIUS BUSINGE | Andela, a global engineering firm based in New York, has raised US$80million in venture funding to mentor software developers in the four African countries where it operates; Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya and Nigeria.
The firm invests in Africa’s most talented software developers and pairs them with engineering firms around the world.
Officials say the goal is to solve the tech talent shortage by accelerating the growth of tech ecosystems on the continent.
Four days after launching its operations in Uganda on July 19, Andela issued a notice on July 24 announcing its entry into the Rwandan market where it aims to establish a pan-African technology hub.
Andela’s co-founder and Chief Exectuve Officer, Jeremy Johnson said they are partnering with the Government of Rwanda through the Rwanda Development Board (RDB), an organisation responsible for transforming the country into a dynamic global hub for business, investment and innovation.
Kigali was chosen due to its strong existing infrastructure and ease of doing business and access for developers across the continent.
Jeremy said that through the partnership, RDB will support Andela’s efforts to build a pan-African workforce and support the development of Rwandan and other African talent.
He added that this will catalyse Andela’s mission to invest in Africa’s most promising talent and build the continent’s future technology leaders, adding to over 700 Andela developers based in the company’s existing locations in Lagos, Nairobi, and Kampala.
“We are thrilled to have found a partner in the Government of Rwanda whose mission is so closely aligned with our own which is to grow and sustain a pan-African elite tech workforce,” he said.
Jeremy said in Kigali, they found a location that makes travel to-and-from other African countries seamless and also has the modern and connected infrastructure they require to collaborate with a global workforce.
Seni Sulyman, Andela’s vice president in charge of global operations described Kigali as a 4G African city that continues to push towards ICT excellence and is fast becoming one of East Africa’s key tech hubs.
“Connecting talent with opportunity on a global scale is Andela’s ethos, and with the opening of our Kigali hub, we expect to extend opportunities to thousands more software engineers from across the continent that will make their mark on the global tech scene via Kigali,”Sulyman said.
Through Andela’s distributed model of work, developers gain global experience with the world’s top technology firms while working remotely from an Andela campus.
Sulyman said this enables them to actively contribute to the growth of their local tech ecosystems by leading developer groups, mentoring junior technologists, and serving as an example of how local developers can compete on a global level.
Clare Akamanzi, the RDB chief executive officer said the partnership with Andela will help Rwanda build the next generation of technology leaders who will lead innovation in Kigali and beyond.
“Through partnerships, such as the one we are announcing today, we are accelerating Kigali’s growth as a global technology hub while also advancing skills development and employment opportunities for young, talented Africans,”Akamanzi said.
Four years ago, Andela first launched operations in Nigeria and has since mentored slightly over 500 software developers.
In the three markets (Nigeria, Kenya, Uganda), the company has mentored more than 700 software engineers across the continent that collectively help power the technology teams of more than 150 global companies including Viacom, GitHub, Pluralsight and more.
Speaking to The Independent on the sidelines of Andela’s inaugural developer conference at its new hub in Kampala, Jackie Ochola, the firm’s country director for Uganda, said that when one joins and finishes Andela’s four year fellowship, their human potential will have advanced a lot faster than it would anywhere else.
She said after the fellowship, beneficiaries could become tech-entrepreneurs or join world class companies in senior level roles.
Speaking at the official opening of Andela’s operations in Kampala on July 19, Micheal Niyitegeka, an IT expert based in Kampala said, Andela’s coming into the market will positively impact on the general ICT sector through skills development.
He said retooling and skills development of IT specialists is important because of the changing dynamics of the entire sector. He said trainees must be eager to learn and practice what they learn if they are to move things.
Indeed trainees of Andela appears to be ready to show what they have and benefit from the gains of the sector.
Nickson Kamugisha, a third year student of computer science at Uganda Christian University (UCU) told The Independent that he joined the Andela fraternity in 2016 and he hopes to benefit a lot from it.
Kamugisha wants to develop mobile apps and other desktop applications in the near future.
“So far they are already training us and we do expect to enhance our skills that we do get from schools and colleges,” Kamugisha said. The entire fellowship programme lasts for four years.
Going forward, Andela targets to mentor 100,000 software developers by 2024 in the four markets of Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya and Nigeria.
