Africa’s financial technology (fintech) story has, to date, been largely defined by access. Over the past decade, the continent has made extraordinary progress in getting people connected, banked and transacting digitally. But the industry is now entering what can best be described as the “infrastructure phase”, a transition that brings Africa’s skills shortage sharply into focus.
This next wave is about orchestration and efficiency. It’s no longer enough to just have an app or a single platform; we are now building the complex, invisible rails and connections that allow money to move instantly with product embedded in our current financial behaviours. We are moving from simple peer-to-peer transfers to building comprehensive financial ecosystems that can scale globally while solving uniquely African problems.
The scale of what lies ahead is significant. According to the International Finance Corporation, more than 230 million jobs in sub-Saharan Africa will require digital skills by 2030, spanning coding, data analytics, digital marketing, cybersecurity and AI literacy. Yet Africa’s current skills base is far from ready. Countries across the continent score between 1.8 and 5 on the Digital Skills Gap Index – well below the global average of 6, with 12 of the world’s 20 weakest performers located in Africa and only 11% of tertiary graduates receiving any formal digital training.
