Across Africa, organisations are talking loudly about skills shortages, artificial intelligence and cybersecurity. What鈥檚 less clear is whether the way we build and sustain technology talent is genuinely keeping pace with that conversation.
, HR Director at 51风流Africa, says there is a noticeable shift away from purely qualification-led hiring toward skills-based thinking, but cautions against overstating how far this has actually progressed.
鈥淲e like the idea of a skills-first approach,鈥� says Koolen. 鈥淚n practice, many organisations are still deeply attached to traditional credentials, even while saying they can鈥檛 find the talent they need. There鈥檚 a tension between what the market says it wants and what it still screens for.鈥�
That tension is becoming more visible as demand grows in areas such as AI, cybersecurity, cloud computing and data analytics. Organisations are increasingly defining roles in terms of specific technical capabilities, yet the pipelines producing those skills remain slow, uneven and often disconnected from real work.
Recent research into African enterprises shows that companies are increasingly defining roles by specific skills in areas such as AI, cybersecurity, cloud computing and data analytics. In a study commissioned by SAP,聽85% of organisations identified AI development skills as a priority, while 86% ranked cybersecurity capabilities as critical.
Systemic overhaul needed
鈥淭here鈥檚 a lot of talk about AI skills as the new currency,鈥� Koolen adds. 鈥淏ut currencies only work if there鈥檚 a functioning system behind them. In many African contexts, we鈥檙e asking for advanced capabilities while under-investing in the basics such as access, foundational training, mentorship and realistic on-the-job exposure.鈥�
This gap is partly driving interest in short, intensive learning formats such as micro-learning and micro-credentials. Designed to build focused skills over weeks rather than years, these programmes are often positioned as a solution to Africa鈥檚 tech skills shortage. Koolen urges caution.
鈥淢icro-learning can be powerful when it鈥檚 well designed and tightly linked to actual roles,鈥� she says. 鈥淏ut it鈥檚 not a silver bullet. A six-week course doesn鈥檛 replace experience, judgment or systems thinking. The risk is that we oversell speed and underplay depth.鈥�
For many professionals, however, short-form learning is simply more realistic than stepping away from work to pursue long, expensive qualifications. 鈥淢ost people can鈥檛 afford to pause their livelihoods,鈥� Koolen notes. 鈥淏ite-sized learning allows movement, but only if employers are willing to support learning on the job, not just tick a training box.鈥�
奥丑颈濒别听聽that many African organisations now offer regular training, Koolen is clear that frequency does not equal effectiveness. 鈥淥ffering monthly learning is not the same as building capability. Too often, training exists in isolation from workforce planning, role design and actual delivery pressure.鈥�
Call for cross-sectoral collaboration
Closing the skills gap, she argues, requires more honesty and collaboration across sectors. 鈥淓ducation institutions, business and the public sector all have a role, but alignment is still weak. We鈥檙e not short of initiatives; we鈥檙e short of coherence.鈥�
Within SAP鈥檚 ecosystem, targeted programmes such as graduate bootcamps and early-career development initiatives aim to bridge some of these gaps by combining technical training with real project exposure. Koolen sees these as useful 鈥� but again, not sufficient on their own.
鈥淭hey work because they鈥檙e intensive, contextual and tied to real demand,鈥� she says. 鈥淏ut they don鈥檛 scale easily, and they don鈥檛 solve the broader systemic issues around employability, access and long-term career progression.鈥�
Universities across Africa are experimenting with edtech platforms and stackable credentials to stay relevant, yet Koolen believes higher education is still wrestling with its purpose in a rapidly changing labour market.
鈥淭he question isn鈥檛 whether degrees still matter,鈥� she says. 鈥淭hey do. The question is whether we鈥檙e honest about what they prepare people for, and what they don鈥檛.鈥�
Traditional MBAs and long-form qualifications continue to offer strategic breadth and critical thinking, but on their own they no longer meet the immediate needs of organisations grappling with fast-moving technologies.
鈥淭he future isn鈥檛 either-or,鈥� Koolen concludes. 鈥淚t鈥檚 layered. Foundational education, practical experience, short-form learning and vendor-specific skills all matter. The danger is pretending that one quick fix will solve a problem that鈥檚 structural, uneven and deeply human.鈥�
